Ken and I hung around Anse Colombier for 5 days, and enjoyed it somewhat. We had some "boisterous" swells that made beaching the dinghy a little challenging, so Ken had to run bring me to shore for my runs. He was a good sport about it, although he isn't the type to typically spring out of bed and into action. God bless him for it. Ken had also sliced his knuckle with a hacksaw our last morning in St. Martin, so getting that finger wet was not a good idea, killing his possibilities of having some nice swims. Otherwise, it is a nice place, and it would be fantastic in more settled weather, like our first two days there.
We still wanted to see Gustavia, the main town (it is much too small to be a city, the total population of the island is just over 5,000 as of the last census). We made the decision to leave the relative quiet of the marine park area and head to the port of Gustavia, where we knew it would be much busier. After all, it was the last day of the "Bucket Regatta".
After a little hunting around, we found a place to anchor. This place was packed, and cruisers had even taken to anchoring in the channel (usually a big no-no). Our spot is a little way out, but we aren't packed cheek by jowl with other boats here. It just means it is a little rougher than our preference, and the dinghy ride into the town docks is a little longer. However, we can still get the WiFi they provide to the harbour!
My first reconnaissance was this morning, when I went for my run. In the harbour area, it is quite flat, but to get anywhere else, there is going to be a hill. So be it, that has become par for the course most places, but the last 5 weeks in St. Martin had me spoiled in that I could choose if I wanted to do hills or not, and how big of a hill. This gave me a good feel for the layout of the town, which is quite well organized.
Ken and I went ashore a little after breakfast to play tourist, and figure out how to get a couple of things accomplished, like where to get water and to really check out the grocery store and the wholesaler. The "yachtie" part of the visit was easy, and then it was tourist time.
St. Bart's (named by Christopher Columbus for his brother Bartolomeo) started its' life as a French settlement, but was handed over to the Swedes in 1784 (later given back in 1878). There wasn't much here, so the designer of the town had a clean slate to work with, and designed a town with roads that made sense, and the major buildings in strategic places. Because of the mixed history, the architecture has a blend of the Swedish and the French, at least those buildings that didn't get totally destroyed in hurricanes, an earthquake, or a fire that ravaged the town. It is easy to walk the town in a couple of hours, including visiting the sites of two of the forts (there were four, but one is a little farther away, and one is used by the Gendarmerie). There isn't much left of the forts, but they provide great places to get panoramic views of the area (check our Web Album out in a day or two for pictures of St. Bart's).
This is another duty-free island, and a place for those with money. Cartier, Louis Vitton, Benetton and others have a presence here, for those looking for a little bauble or two. The inner harbour has been made into place where megayachts under 60 meters can find a place to berth; bigger ones can anchor out. You know, the kind of person who would have the money for those trinkets. Of course, it isn't all about the big boats, there is a plethora of smaller boats as well.
When we arrived ashore this morning, some of the big boats had already headed out. By the time we left town at around 3:30, there were only a handful of boats left. Apparently many of them are already looking to get over to the Mediterranean for the summer cruising season, and this regatta is kind of a last kick for them. There are still a couple of the larger boats too big for the moorings on the wall anchored out in the channel.
It really is a pleasant place to visit, but not inexpensive. Even with the duty-free options. We think we will spend a day more here, then head on to our next destination.We just need to get a few things on our boat, like some fresh food and topping up the water tanks, and we will be ready to go.