Heading south from Martinique, we had an easy passage down to Rodney Bay at the north end of St Lucia. Jeremy went in to clear customs and immigration, and then we spent the night at anchor. There have been concerning reports among the cruising community about security, ranging from theft to armed robbery (or worse), so we locked up tight. However, the situation appears to have improved and we never actually felt unsafe. The next day we went into the huge marina at Rodney Bay and tied up to a dock for the first time in two months. This was a much needed stop for cleaning, provisioning, repairs and numerous small jobs.

We caught up with a few friends from the Salty Dawg rally and made the most of being able to simply walk over to bars and restaurants, rather than having to brave a damp dinghy ride! We also found the best supermarket we’ve seen since leaving the US, and did a massive stock-up. Unfortunately there was a spiked fence next to the dinghy dock for the supermarket and our dinghy got punctured – ouch! The local marine store had the right glue for our dinghy and Jeremy was able to patch us up the next morning – phew!

After a few days we moved down to Marigot Bay to pick up guests Mitch and Renee. Marigot Bay is a lovely peaceful spot, almost totally enclosed – you don’t see the entrance until you are almost there! It’s also popular with the rich and famous: Oprah and Mick Jagger both have houses here (we liked Mick’s house better!), and there were some super yachts here. It’s fun to have guests aboard after 2 months on our own!