After arriving from our crossing, we spent the next week cheering all the new arrivals as they sailed into the marina and sharing stories with other ARC participants. Boats which had taken a northerly course had experienced more boisterous weather, making us thankful for Charlie and Simon's routing advice. Most boats made it across with relatively minor breakage, but there were some exceptions. One boat lost it's navigation system midway across the Atlantic, and was aided by another ARC yacht who stayed closeby to relay weather and positioning data via VHF radio for the next 1200 miles. Another boat was abandoned due to a serious injury onboard, with the crew picked up by a nearby freighter. The real heroes of the rally were the crew of Magic Dragon (which included 3 kids under 12), who rescued the 5 person crew of Charlotte Jane after they had to abandon their boat due to catastrophic steering failure. The ocean is magnificent but serious. Before leaving Rodney Bay we explored Pigeon Island



and then said "see you soon" to our wonderful crew Tasha and Douglas, and exchanged WhatsApp info with many other boats, promising to share tips on special places that we all found in our upcoming Caribbean explorations.

From Rodney Bay we headed about 10 miles south to Marigot Bay, our base for the holidays where we were to meet up with our 3 kids and their friends. Marigot Bay is a beautiful small "hurricane-hole" - a harbor offering protection for the worst of weather. It is quite picturesque, surrounded by deep forested hills and protected by a sandy bar with dozens of palm trees - Pirates of the Caribbean and the original Dr Doolittle were filmed here.





The British and the French fought over St Lucia continuously during the 1700s, with the island held by the French and British 7 times each. The British navy reportedly hid from the French in Marigot Back back in 1778, concealing their ships with palm fronds lashed to the masts.

In a covid-era miracle, Katherine, Sam, Colin and their friends Dave and Meaghan all arrived on time, and we had a wonderful week exploring the island together. We celebrated Christmas with the appropriate ornaments...





... admired new tattoos...



... swam off of sandy beaches...



... went on a mountain bike tour of the north part of the island...






... had fresh bananas and mangos delivered by Noel every morning...



... sailed to some amazing snorkeling spots in Anse Cushon, Anse Castinet, and Sugar Beach...







... Kayaked through a mangrove estuary on a river used to transport cane to a local rum distillery...



...coiffed some family beards





... and climbed the Gros Piton, a volcanic plug with geology similar to Devils Tower in Wyoming.





Interestingly, the trail starts from the village of Fond Gens Libre (Valley of the Free People), which was founded by black freedom fighters during the slave rebellion of 1748. There are number of statues and memorials throughout the island commemorating slave revolts and eventual emancipation.

After New Years, the crew headed back north, with the exception of Katherine who will stay for a while longer. What a gift and blessing the reunion has been! Now, it is Kitty's and my job to start planning our adventures for the next few months.