After our quick visit to Antigua, we sailed south to Guadeloupe with our two buddy boats, Pura Vida and Rondo. On our trip, we anchored in Deshaies, stopped off at the Jacques Cousteau’s Marine Park on Pigeon Island for a snorkel, and then went onto Les Saintes.
Watch the video to see some sailing, fishing, snorkeling, the Green Flash, kids on a boat, waterfalls, and much more. And make sure to scroll down to get links to resources mentioned in the video.
If you’re not sure about going to a French Caribbean island, find out why you should here: 8 Reasons To Sail To A French Caribbean Island.
Guadeloupe Video
Resources mentioned in the Guadeloupe Video
- Mooring Balls Explained: A Checklist For A Secure Mooring
- Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine
- Simon’s ‘Sail Fast Live Slow’ t-shirt
Pictures from our Guadeloupe voyage
Transcripts of Guadeloupe Video
After a fast sail down from Antigua, we arrived in De Hayes in Guadeloupe. This is our second time at the anchorage. It’s always so much more comfortable when you enter a place that you’ve been before. Our guest crew member, Douwe, took the lead on grabbing a mooring ball.
If you’re not sure on the steps involved with safely tieing onto a mooring ball, make sure to purchase our guide, ‘Mooring Balls Explained – A Checklist For A Secure Mooring’
Once our mooring was secured, we put the mainsail in its sail bag, cleaned up the boat, and pulled the mahi-mahi we caught on the way over out of the fridge.
To learn how to fillet a mahi-mahi, check out our separate video entitled “How To Fillet A Mahi Mahi.’
Once all our boat jobs were done and the fish was filled we took the dinghy over to our buddy boat Rondo for pot luck. On the menu were Mahi Mahi, Lion Fish, and Barracuda in addition to a range of lovely side dishes.
The next day we decided to get a few odd jobs taken care of. Our British Army Association Flag needed to be mended and put back on the pole.
Another job that we wanted to tackle was to replace the webbing that holds up our spray hood and Bimini. Over time the UV breaks down the thread that keeps the webbing attached.
In the case of our sprayhood webbing, we quickly replaced it with rope until I had the time to pull out the sewing machine.
Many new cruisers ask me, ‘should I get a sewing machine, and if so what one?’. Yes, I think it’s worth having a sewing machine. The thread in your flags, webbing, cushions, winch and grill covers, sail bags, and even your sails will disintegrate way before the fabric does.
Which machine should you get?
I’ve been using this rather inexpensive Industrial Strength Singer, for years. It’s been fantastic. It’s important, however, to stock outdoor UV resistant thread on board to use for repairs.
While Simon and I were replacing webbing, Douwe was replacing the fan that sits above my bed.
What’s Sienna doing while we’re all working. Well after she completes her homeschooling and before the other boat kids are ready to play she amuses herself in a variety of ways…
That evening, our buddy boat Pura Vida came over for dinner.
Simon made a curry for us all to enjoy, but before we watched the sunset and some of us thought we saw the green flash. As we pondered whether or not we really did see the green flash, the kids enjoyed dinner and made up a song for us.
The next day we rented a couple cars and took off in search of waterfalls. Life as a cruiser is quite varied. Some people that don’t know much about our lifestyle think that once we move onto a boat we rarely go back on land. Well…that’s not true.
Cruisers are travelers and they like to see the world. Where ever they go, they anchor and get off the boat to explore the sights.
We found a trail that supposedly led to a waterfall. The signs said the trail was closed but we decided to go anyway.
Not wanting to get my sneakers dirty I made a big mistake and wore flip flops.
After everyone had a snack and a swim we headed back up.
Eventually we made it home. Isn’t that an amazing concept – our home is our boat. We get to explore amazing sights all over the world yet always come home at night.
The rain was in for the day but the following day we woke up to blue skies, clear water and another day in paradise. Le Saintes is a wonderful location to stop – every direction provides something to make your eye’s smile.
The kids spent the day jumping off the boat and swimming all around. They then enjoyed a couple of hours of fort building. When it comes to boat kids, just because they’re not in a house or on land that doesn’t stop them from building forts.
You’ll find Le Saintes, 15 km off the southern coast of Guadeloupe. It’s a small archipelago, made up of 9 islands that were discovered by Christopher Columbus on 4 November 1493.
Once you get off the boat and tour the main street you get a feel for the uniqueness of the area. It’s as if you go back in time and are perhaps teleported to a European town. There’s a great feel to the area and of course, there’s the benefits of French bread, pastries, and delicious French cuisine.
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If you’d like an overview of all the places we’ve visited in the Caribbean please read our destination overview: Caribbean
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