The plan: Stop in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia for a couple of days to rest and then carry on to Grenada.

The reality: Stop in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia for a couple of weeks to wait for weather and then carry on to Grenada.

We have been monitoring the weather through several sources, and we finally have the weather window we have been waiting for. Wednesday is the day barring any weather related changes. In the meantime, we have been enjoying what St. Lucia has to offer.

We are a very short dinghy ride away from the village where you can get everything you need for provisions, if you are willing to pay the price. We went looking for a couple of steaks to BBQ, only to find two small rib eye’s for $93 EC or approximately $45 Cdn or $35 US. No matter what currency, they were wicked expensive, and we ended up with chicken instead. Still expensive, but not nearly as much. Some of the vegetables are just as expensive, as a head of cauliflower was over $17.90 EC ($8.60 Cdn/$6.60 US). And don’t get me started on laundry! $50 EC ($25 Cdn/$19 US) for one load of laundry, whether you do it yourself or they do it. Highway robbery! This island is not conducive to staying on our cruising budget, after all we still have an engine to pay for.

We have enjoyed many nice walks exploring the beach in the outer bay, the St. Lucia Yacht Club, and a couple of the restaurants within the lagoon. It has been nice to pass the time here, having sundowners with the crew of Calypso every evening. On Sunday, we were invited to a pot luck on Sir Martin II which is anchored out in the bay. After a wonderful luncheon and a couple of adult beverages, Ray, the captain of the boat, took us on a tour. He explained that the 97 foot ketch, is part of a larger charity group based out of California, who transports all sorts of supplies from Florida to Haiti several times a year. We had the opportunity to meet several other cruisers in the bay as well. We whiled away the afternoon, sharing sea stories in the perfect setting.

We will definitely be back again, to explore further afield next season. In the mean time, we are getting ready for the last leg of our journey. We are on our way to Grenada, but before we leave, I’m going to move all of my bedding into the main cabin, just in case the weather forecasters are wrong about the weather window. They couldn’t be wrong again, could they?