Mission Ocean: Saint Lucia: Paradise? Not quite…
by Mission Océan 2 Sep 2018 08:04 UTC
The sail from Martinique to Saint Lucia was a treat. I was at the helm the whole way, with a light swell and nice breezes pushing us along, and we quickly caught up our friends who had departed a good hour before us. We were treated to a real show for the last hour of the crossing, with two boobies hunting flying fish within inches of Contigo's bow, using the energy in our sails to soar up and dive clumsily down over and over, with incredible speed and a comical sort of elegance.
As many do, we came around Pigeon Island in the north and dropped anchor off the sandy beaches of Rodney Bay. After a quick dash to Customs and Immigration before hefty overtime rates kicked in, we settled down to a rum punch in one of the marina's waterfront bars, and compared stories with the four or five other boats that had accompanied us on the sail down. We spent a couple of nights in Rodney Bay, getting the boat ready for a friend who would join us for the next week in Saint Lucia.
On departing Rodney Bay, we were immediately struck by the large amount of floating trash that we encountered. We initially thought that the plastic soda bottles bobbing around the boat were to mark lobster pots and other fishing hazards, as this is common practice in Martinique. But when we spotted a full black bin bag around 20m to port, we realized that the problem was much more serious than it had first seemed.
On pulling into Castries, the island's capital and commercial port, our faces fell even further. The little harbour was strewn with plastic bottles, polystyrene cups, and all manner of floating detritus. I spent the first hour on Contigo's steps with a boat hook, fishing out as much as I could. The dinghy trip in the dark to pick up our friend from the ferry dock proved very dangerous, and we were forced to crawl along with torches trained on the water to avoid catching plastic bags in the prop. Not the best welcome to Saint Lucia for our guest, nor indeed for the other ferry passengers and the clients on the small cruise ship that chugged into Castries the following morning.
In Castries' defence, we met a wonderful ferry worker there who showed us around and swapped a huge bag of avocadoes from his garden for some old fishing gear that we had on board. We also discovered a busy market in the backstreets (not the tourist market on the dock, although this maze of covered wooden stalls has its charm), where we stocked up with local fruit and vegetables, and spent a wonderful hour in a little café sipping cocoa tea and watching the formidable Saint Lucia mamas haggling and sucking their teeth at one another.
Our next stop was Marigot Bay, a stunning cut between cliffs, which could not have been further removed from Casties. A pristine haven, with a beautifully maintained marina village and a fancy hotel whose services (and pool) are available to any boats taking a Med mooring or a ball. Alternatively, as we did on the first night, you can drop anchor on either side of the channel in the first bay, and take advantage of some of the snorkelling straight from the back of your boat. We spent several nights in Marigot Bay, renting a car and using the neat little marina as a base. Be warned! The roads in Saint Lucia are not for the faint-hearted, and are in a terrible state. Huge potholes hide around each bend, and it would be easy to lose a wheel – or worse – in a matter of minutes. If you are not a confident driver, definitely opt for one of the minivan taxis that tout for trade all over the island.
We managed to survive the roads, and were rewarded with waterfalls, volcanic sulphur baths, lush forests and stunning coastal scenery, including the Pitons, a UNESCO heritage site of natural historical significance. We spent our last night on the island anchored between these two great green peaks, feeling very small and imagining the force that it would take to form such mountains.
Had it not been for the trash, Saint Lucia would have not been far off a paradise on Earth. But everywhere we looked – on the roadsides, in the woods, in the rivers – and every time we sailed or put our heads under the water, we were confronted with plastic pollution and traces of man's impact on the planet. We tried to photograph, note and collect as much as we possibly could, but there was just too much. Towards the end of our stay, our spirits were slightly raised as we came across various efforts to reduce this tidal wave of pollution. These included billboards in Castries encouraging reusable shopping bags, a hand-painted sign at a waterfall urging visitors to "keep the nature clean", and a café in Rodney Bay offering a discount on takeaway drinks if you brought your own reusable mug. The ideas are there, but the authorities in Saint Lucia need to wake up and recognise the island-wide issue, encourage clean up efforts and improve education if they want to maintain their image as a luxury tourist – and cruising – destination.
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Mission Ocean is Laura Beard and Henrique Agostinho. Their three year plus mission is to share their love and respect for the ocean with others, through education and scientific research. Neither is a stranger to the water, so they have combined all their skills and passions in this bold, courageous and inspiring project. Sail-Worldcruising.com is delighted to be with them for the journey of their lifetime. You can also find out more on their Facebook page and Instagram account @missionocean06