Deshaies

Fuelled up again, we were ready to head South to Guadeloupe to have my parents on board for 3 weeks.

Customs was busy when we went to clear out on Tuesday afternoon, so it took a couple of hours. The next morning set off at 10am, for a straight shot down to Deshaies, on the North-West corner of Guadeloupe. I don't recall too much about the trip, but it would have been a nice easy sail, on probably a broad reach.

We arrived in good time in the afternoon to check in at "Le Pelican" in Deshaies, and have a swim before sundown. In the French Antilles, customs clearance is self-service, often inside a small local business like "Le Pelican", a curio store. It takes 5 minutes, and costs a couple of Euro.

We stocked up at Carrefour, and picked my parents up at the airport. They were pretty exhausted after 2 long-haul flights, but soon settled into boat life, relaxing and swimming off the boat. Deshaies was where Death in Paradise was filmed, which they've been watching on TV. So we wandered around the village spotting all the movie sets.

The local botanical garden was a bit of a hike up the hill, but well worth it for its variety.

One day in Deshaies, we were visited by a couple of local dolphins in the bay. They seemed playful, so I jumped in the water, and swam out to them. Soon everyone else joined in.

It was something quite special to get up close and watch them play. But sometimes a little scary, too. They would be playing with each other, writhing in the depths. Then suddenly they'd turn and swim at you with open jaws, only darting away at the last moment. I don't know if I want to be part of dolphin games like that.

Often they would be close enough that you could touch if you wanted. Some sailors from another boat joined in, and one of the dolphins would jump out the water, over a swimmer. It's not hard to imagine a small mistake by man or dolphin really hurting someone.

Definitely something to remember for a long time.

Navionics Track