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29-07-2018, 20:17
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Lake Michigan
Boat: Island Packet 320
Posts: 76
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Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
I thought I'd share my blog & video from my 10 day ocean voyage from Bermuda to Guadeloupe.
If you are looking to cruise ⛵️ ⛵️the beautiful butterfly shaped island of Guadeloupe, La Désirade, Petite Terre Island Preserve, La réserve (Jacques) Cousteau underwater (the island's most famous dive spot), Îles des Saintes (Terre-de-Haut, Terre-de-Bas), or Marie-Galonte, feel free to ask questions .. I've got loads of info on: anchorages, ⚓️docking fees, where to go, where not to go, best beaches , & post-hurricane issues (lack of wifi, ruined hiking trails on la Soufrière volcano, etc).
Also don't go unless you know a little French ! ️ ️
Video:
blog:
https://blog.sivanaspirit.com/author/amythome0714/
Feel free to check out my pix albums as well here on CF
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29-07-2018, 23:05
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Caribbean live aboard
Boat: Camper & Nicholson58 Ketch - ROXY Traverse City, Michigan No.668283
Posts: 6,356
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Nice clips. We love the French Islands of the eastern Caribbean. Check in/out is the easiest of all the Caribbean. The wine is good and cheap, best bread and deli meats. A little French goes a long way but it is not crucial. 27 distilleries on Martinique. Many waterfalls and great hikes including Mt Pelee 4800 feet.
Sorry about the photo rotation. 10 liters of wine, 20 Euro.
Snorkeling with the turtles in the anchorage near the Cousteau park.
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30-07-2018, 01:03
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,480
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicholson58
... We love the French Islands of the eastern Caribbean. Check in/out is the easiest of all the Caribbean. The wine is good and cheap, best bread and deli meats. A little French goes a long way but it is not crucial. 27 distilleries on Martinique. Many waterfalls and great hikes including Mt Pelee 4800 feet.
...
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Oh yeah, life aint bad on the French islands, I got "stuck" in Martinique for a couple of weeks once due to paperwork issues on the sale of a yacht I was delivering...such a pleasant place to get "stuck"...gained a few pounds I think.
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30-07-2018, 05:00
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Anguilla
Boat: CheoyLee Offshore 33
Posts: 644
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
We made a trip to Dominica last month, stopped in Iles de Saintes and couldn't leave. We procrastinated for a week, then a storm threatened so we ran to Deshaines in the North of Guadeloupe. Stayed there a very pleasant week. If I had the sea legs, I'd sail from St. Martin to Guadeloupe to Martinique and bypass the rest with their voluminous paperwork, cranky officials and crappy overpriced food.
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30-07-2018, 08:57
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Annapolis/Caribbean
Boat: Oyster 55
Posts: 304
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomea
I thought I'd share my blog & video from my 10 day ocean voyage from Bermuda to Guadeloupe.
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It's a terrific video--well done!
The islands of Guadeloupe are beautiful and have many attractions, but be careful of crime in Pointe-a-Pitre. Our boat was robbed within a few hours of arriving at the Bas-du-fort Marina a few years ago. I had been warned to lock everything securely, and I did, but the thieves smashed our companionway doors while we were ashore. They probably watched us arrive and saw that we had gone ashore after docking. Crime in this area is one reason that Sunsail closed their base in Guadeloupe in 2011. Hopefully this situation has improved since then.
We had no problems at other anchorages.
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30-07-2018, 08:59
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Annapolis/Caribbean
Boat: Oyster 55
Posts: 304
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Be careful of cheap wine, Mark!
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30-07-2018, 09:03
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: essex england
Boat: offshore 8 meter
Posts: 138
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
hi, ive sailed there 4 times, i dont speak french, its not a problem there very friendly.
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30-07-2018, 12:58
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Caribbean live aboard
Boat: Camper & Nicholson58 Ketch - ROXY Traverse City, Michigan No.668283
Posts: 6,356
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Sea
It's a terrific video--well done!
The islands of Guadeloupe are beautiful and have many attractions, but be careful of crime in Pointe-a-Pitre. Our boat was robbed within a few hours of arriving at the Bas-du-fort Marina a few years ago. I had been warned to lock everything securely, and I did, but the thieves smashed our companionway doors while we were ashore. They probably watched us arrive and saw that we had gone ashore after docking. Crime in this area is one reason that Sunsail closed their base in Guadeloupe in 2011. Hopefully this situation has improved since then.
We had no problems at other anchorages.
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We view Pointe-a-Pitre as a dump, not representing the rest of the island at all. The marina is smelly and the one public toilet was always closed, not just locked. We anchored out as always. This helps limit the access to your boat. The botanical garden at Deshaies was great and bus service around the island is pretty good. Most Caribbean islands are not suitable for a bicycle but you can ride here. We happened to arrive south bound once last summer in the big s-west blow. We wound up on the north side of the west wing alone in an anchorage inside the reefs to wait out the blow. Probably about ten miles by the crow from Deshaies.
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30-07-2018, 23:33
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Lake Michigan
Boat: Island Packet 320
Posts: 76
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Yes dont go to Pointe a Pitre.. go to Port Louis, or other spots...
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30-07-2018, 23:34
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Lake Michigan
Boat: Island Packet 320
Posts: 76
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Yes Deshaies is wonderful
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31-07-2018, 05:07
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Anguilla
Boat: CheoyLee Offshore 33
Posts: 644
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomea
Yes Deshaies is wonderful
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Terrible murder rate, about one a week for half the year.
We've gone back to watching episodes of Death in Paradise just for the location scenes - it's amazing how much use they get out of the one street. We had dinner in the restaurant they use.
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31-07-2018, 05:49
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Us: Australia, Boat: Caribbean
Boat: 50' Ligure power cat
Posts: 119
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by masonc
Terrible murder rate, about one a week for half the year.
We've gone back to watching episodes of Death in Paradise just for the location scenes - it's amazing how much use they get out of the one street. We had dinner in the restaurant they use.
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We’re buying one of the boats they used in an episode!
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31-07-2018, 12:01
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Anguilla
Boat: CheoyLee Offshore 33
Posts: 644
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluenomads
We’re buying one of the boats they used in an episode!
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The little green one the inspectors buys to take up sailing? Green from slime?
That should be fun.
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31-07-2018, 19:12
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Lake Michigan
Boat: Island Packet 320
Posts: 76
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluenomads
We’re buying one of the boats they used in an episode!
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oh how fun!
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31-07-2018, 19:13
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Lake Michigan
Boat: Island Packet 320
Posts: 76
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Re: Sailing the French Islands of Guadeloupe~
Quote:
Originally Posted by masonc
Terrible murder rate, about one a week for half the year.
We've gone back to watching episodes of Death in Paradise just for the location scenes - it's amazing how much use they get out of the one street. We had dinner in the restaurant they use.
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high murder rate where? In Pointe-a-Pitre? I always felt safe everywhere I went in Guadeloupe, including all the surrounding tiny islands
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