Author: fred_o3aa07aj

14 may 2025
The town of Soufrière is located in the southwest of St. Lucia in front of Petit Piton, one of the two famous pyramid-shaped volcanic mountains: the Pitons. Gros Piton is 771 meters high and Petit Piton is slightly smaller at 743 meters. The Pitons, the sea and the rainforest as a backdrop provide a perfect picture for a visit to this relaxed and relatively undeveloped town in the south of St. Lucia. Given that the name is the French word for “sulfur”, it should come as no surprise that there are so many hot springs and mineral baths. When the small town was founded by the French in 1746, it thrived on sugar cane plantations, but today the residents of Soufrière make their living mainly from tourism.

Over the years, Soufrière has been hit by earthquakes, hurricanes and tropical storms. The town has been rebuilt several times, but it has still retained its originality. French wooden houses with balconies and modern cement buildings are pressed close together along the narrow roads. The streets have sidewalks and large gutters that lead rainwater from the mountains to the sea. During the French Revolution, several prominent French men were beheaded by guillotine on the central square. On the east side of the square is the `Lady of Assumption church`, built in 1953. A few fun facts; the national beer, Piton beer, is named after the mountains. The flag of St. Lucia, which consists of a black and gold layered triangle, is also inspired by the Pitons.

Another changeable day in terms of weather. One moment the sun is shining and then another rain shower breaks loose. As soon as it dries up a bit, we collect all our waste and sail with the dinghy to the dinghy dock. It is a rather high jetty, but fortunately there is a kind of staircase that makes it a bit easier for us to climb up. This dinghy dock is guarded during the day and the security lady (neatly in uniform) comes to meet us. She explains where we can dispose of our waste. Then we walk towards the petrol station to fill a jerry can with petrol, which Fred immediately brings back to the dinghy. Then we wander a bit through the streets of the village. At a supermarket we ask if they have Coca Cola Zero in large 2-litre bottles, but here too they only have the mini bottles. We are surprised that they do not have this on the entire island. Then we go for a drink at a local bar. A mini kitten comes to see who we are, curious. So cute! The temptation is great, but I won’t take him along, one cat on board is enough.

Tattoos
For quite some time I have been thinking about getting my second tattoo. It took a while, but now I know what I want and Fred agrees. I discovered on the internet that there is a tattoo artist here in town, who has very good reviews. After consultation we decide to walk over there to see what the possibilities are. It takes a while to find it, because there is no sign anywhere, but after asking a local lady we are directed to the right house. A friendly young man appears and takes us to the back of the house, here he has a small but clean room where he does tattoos. We explain what we would like and ask when he would have time. It is his day off and he is fully booked for the coming weeks. After we explain that we are sailors and will not be staying here for very long, he asks if we have time today. Of course we do! He asks us to come back this afternoon at 13:45. We walk back to the dinghy, buy some bananas at the local market and have lunch back on the boat. A little before the agreed time we sail back to town and of course it starts raining again. A short rain shower that is over when we arrive at the dinghy dock.

Why a tattoo?
Our personal opinion is that a tattoo should have a specific meaning. We would never just take a random tattoo. In the sailing world, various tattoos are made with a specific meaning. Of course you have the traditional ones, such as the anchor or a compass rose, but we don’t want that, we both want a swallow. Below I will tell you a little more about the reason and the meaning of the swallow.
The Swallow’s Historical Roots in Seafaring Culture
Historically, sailors and swallows have a deep connection. In the days of large ships and long sea voyages, seeing a swallow was a beacon of hope that land was near. Rarely seen far out at sea, these birds were seen as messengers of good fortune, announcing the end of a perilous voyage.

Swallows as Symbols of Experience and Maritime Achievement
In sailor culture, the swallow is not only a bird, but also a sign of honor. Traditionally, a sailor earned the right to a swallow tattoo after sailing 5,000 nautical miles at sea, as a symbol of his experience and resilience. A second tattoo after 10,000 nautical miles marked even more skill and adventure. For the record, the circumference of the earth is 21,639 nautical miles, which is equal to 4.16 swallows.

Myths and Legends of Seafaring
One such belief is that when a sailor dies at sea, swallows carry his soul to heaven. This legend gave the bird a sacred status among sailors, as a symbol of protection and respect for those lost in the ocean. Today, the swallow tattoo remains a popular emblem among sailors, naval personnel, and maritime enthusiasts. It serves as a tribute to the age-old tradition, symbolizing respect for the vastness of the ocean and a reminder of the sailor’s journey and experiences. In the context of sailor tattoos, the swallow is more than just a symbol. It encapsulates the essence of a sailor’s life – freedom, adventure, skill, and an enduring connection to home. When we consider the meaning of the swallow, we are reminded of the deep, historical connection between humanity and the sea.

The tattoos
This is also the reason why we chose the swallow. Because we have covered 18,445 nautical miles so far, we would like to have three swallows tattooed. When we arrive at the tattoo artist, his name is `Ridge` and the name of his company is `Artistry Pleasures` (see Instagram: ridgetattoos).

We take a seat and explain what the intention is. We both want the same tattoo, me on my right upper arm and Fred on his left upper arm. It takes some puzzling which and how these should be positioned on our arm. Ridge is very patient and together we come up with a good design. I (Caroline) am the first to go. He prints out the picture and makes a print on my arm. Ridge is not satisfied with the first print and does it again. After we agree together on how it should be, I take a seat on the tattoo table. Ridge has put down a large fan, because it is very warm. During the entire session we listen to a remix of all sorts of old songs and talk about sailing, among other things. He shows pictures of the tattoos he has done and tells us that the oldest couple was 67 years old. To which I immediately asked the ‘mean’ question how old he thought we were! His answer: 51 years! How sweet, as far as Fred is concerned he is 17 years off. There you go………………the sailor’s life keeps you young! It is 14:30 when he starts. Fred takes pictures and videos in between, also with Ridge’s mobile phone, who will send us everything later.

It is not painful, but it does take a long time. He is very professional and a perfectionist and we are only happy about that. Every now and then I have to stretch my legs, because I get a wooden butt from sitting for so long. Ridge tattoos the first part with 1 needle and then to accentuate and fill it in he replaces it with 7 small needles. That is a bit more painful, but all in all it is very bearable.

Around 5:00 PM I am done and because Fred also has to be done it will be a late night and so Ridge suggests having some food delivered. We think that is an excellent idea. Ridge knows a good restaurant that can deliver wraps, among other things. Until the food is delivered he continues with Fred. Then we eat something and he continues.
Fred’s tattoo is placed on his left upper arm in mirror image of mine. Because it is the same it goes a bit faster now. Unfortunately for Fred Ridge uses 15 needles instead of 7 to fill it in. But according to Fred it was not too bad. Around 8:00 PM Fred is also done.
After we have taken a few more photos and videos, paid, we get some advice from Ridge about the aftercare of our tattoos. Ridge covers them with a special transparent skin plaster, which has to stay on for 24 hours. The next day we have to carefully dab with lukewarm water until it no longer gives off. Only on Saturday (in 3 days) we have to treat it with the ointment he gave us. In a few days it will already look better, but it will take a few weeks for everything to heal. For now we are extremely happy with the result!

We say goodbye to him and say we will definitely come back again. Fortunately, the rain has stopped when we walk back to the dinghy. Tired, but satisfied, we arrive at the boat. The rest of the evening we hang out on the couch.

Thanks Ridge, we are very happy with the beautiful tattoos!

12 may 2025
Monday, we get up early to be able to fill up with diesel and water at the marina around 8:00. And, rain again, until we moor at the Fuel Dock. All water tanks and jerry cans are filled again and the diesel tank is full. It is 9:30 when we leave the marina. We sail out of the bay on the engine and Genoa. Large rain clouds hang over the land and we have occasional small showers, not too bad. A number of boats sail in the same direction. We hope to get a mooring at Soufrière close to the village. On various sites and Facebook we come across the name of a reliable ‘boat boy’ called `Jahleel`.
We want to contact Jahleel by whatsapp just before we arrive. At 5 miles distance a very fast boat suddenly arrives, we tell the man that we are in contact with `Jehleel`. When we get closer we whatsapp Jahleel and explain that we would like help finding a mooring. As soon as we see Soufrière the rain starts to pour down. Not only rain but also thunder and I hate that. We thought we had a lot of rain yesterday, but this surpasses everything. A boat arrives and the man says that Jahleel sent him because he is busy with another boat. Unfortunately, one of the sailing boats we saw along the way beats us to a nice mooring. We are now a bit further away from the village. Jahleel also comes by to give us information about possible tours, we agree to app him if we want to do something. We give the boat boy who helped us EC$20.00 (€6.50), an amount that was advised. It continues to rain very hard, everything is wet, clothes and the cushions in the cockpit. We have just tied up when a boat in front of us moors. This boat is very close and also the boat in front of them. Because the wind drops, we turn in all directions and the neighboring boat comes very close. We both shorten the lines of the mooring and hope that this is enough. Now only the ball is banging against the boat again, nothing can be done for now. We hang the wet clothes in the shower to dry. As soon as it is a bit drier, we tidy up outside a bit and make the lines rattle free. Suddenly a large burst vein is visible on my left wrist, a bruise, swollen and painful. I have no idea how this happened. As soon as we are inside, Fred gives me a pack of frozen meat (which we are going to eat tonight) to cool my wrist. It helps a bit, but I should probably just let it rest as much as possible. We look on the internet for interesting things to see here and conclude that most of the tours that are offered are very expensive, usually over $ 100.00 per person. As described before, there are waterfalls and mud baths quite close by, but we also read that if there is a lot of rain it is closed. I can imagine that, the road to it will be almost impassable after all that rain. According to the weather forecast it does not look like it will stop raining for a while.

13 may 2025
Saint Lucia is located in the tropical zone and has a tropical rainforest climate. The rainy season in Saint Lucia officially starts in June and lasts until December, after which the drier season begins. The average annual rainfall is 2300 mm on the coast to 3800 mm inland (for comparison: the Netherlands and Belgium average around 800 mm per year). We think the season has already started!
After a good night’s sleep, we see that a boat has left behind us and we decide to take this mooring. A little further from the shore (and the rocks) and also further from the mooring in front of us. The moment I grab the mooring line, too much force is applied, causing me to let the boat hook slip out of my hands. Fortunately, it is one that floats. I dive into the water and swim to it, which is not easy without swimming flippers and a current. But… I make it. Climb back on board and we go for attempt two. This works and now we are in a much more favorable position compared to other boats. We hang the wet laundry outside and yes, a little later it starts to rain again. During the day, the sun alternates with rain showers. My wrist is doing a bit better now, it is still painful, but less swollen. In addition to trying to dry all the wet clothes, we continued with our website. We also laze around a bit while waiting for better weather. To be continued!

May 7 to May 11, 2025
Saint Lucia is an independent island nation in the Caribbean. The island, which has a land area of ​​606 km² and a population of 166,487 (2020), is part of the Windward Islands. The island was originally inhabited by the Arawaks and then by the Caribs, who resisted European colonists for many years. The colonial period was marked by the import of slaves from Africa to work on the banana and sugar plantations. The administration of Saint Lucia was a bone of contention between the French and the English for centuries, causing the colony to change hands fourteen times before it finally fell into British hands. This desire to acquire Saint Lucia, as well as the beauty of the country, earned Saint Lucia the nickname Helen of the West Indies, after the Greek mythological figure Helen. On February 22, 1979, the island became independent, with the British Queen Elizabeth II as head of state of the Commonwealth realm. In 2022, Charles III became king of Saint Lucia. Today, Saint Lucia is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year because of the nature of this island, volcanoes, rainforests, waterfalls and black sand beaches. There are several National Parks such as Pigeon Island National Park and the Tet Paul Nature Trail. On the west coast of the island is Soufrière, located against the volcanic Pitons (on the UNESCO World Heritage List). The last eruption dates from 1766. Here are the sulphur springs, mud baths and Botanical Garden. The highest point is Mount Gimie, 950 meters. It is a fertile island with banana plantations. The capital is Castries on the northwest coast of the island, a third of the population lives here.

Rodney Bay
Has the shape of a horseshoe and the marina is the second largest in the Caribbean. The bay is named after Admiral George Brydges Rodney, who built his fort on Pigeon Island. Pigeon Island is a national monument in St. Lucia, declared in 1992 by the government of St. Lucia. It is 18 hectares in size and was originally surrounded by water until it was artificially connected to the mainland in 1972. We are anchored almost 20 minutes from the dinghy dock in the marina. It is a noisy bay, noise wise (music), jet skis and fishing boats whizzing past at ridiculous speeds. It is not really a place we feel at home. For shopping you can go a little further into the bay to the right hand corner, where there is a small jetty to tie up your dinghy. There is usually someone hanging around who will look after your dinghy for a small fee or a drink.

Within a 5 minute walk there are many shops, especially the Duty Free shops (for drinks) are interesting. There is a large Massy Store (supermarket) for groceries. At the moment we are there, there is the Jazz & Arts Festival. We got information from a very friendly lady at the Tourist Office. Now that the festival is there, it is busy and therefore less safe to travel by public bus. She advised us to sail to the bay of Soufrière with our own boat. The island has acquired a very negative image in recent years, violence against sailors and burglaries, etc. Most residents are now trying to change this image. We experience that most people are very friendly, with the exception of a number of catering people in the marina. Because we need cat litter and food for our cat, we moor the dinghy at the dinghy dock in the marina. We first walk to the well-known bakery ‘7th Heaven Bakery’, a very luxurious bakery that makes fantastic croissants for which they charge the main price. But every now and then you have to spoil yourself! After coffee and the delicious (for me) chocolate croissant we walk to the pet shop `Dog Food`. There we find the right brand of cat litter and food. After we told him that we live on a boat and that it is outside in the bay, he arranges for the goods to be delivered to the marina. Super good service.
We decide to sail to Soufrière on Monday 12 May. We will definitely come back to St. Lucia to see more of the island. On Sunday we do some shopping in the morning. On the way back we get caught in a huge rain shower on the way to the boat. We seem to have a patent on rain showers when we get water or go shopping. But this time it was really bad and we arrive at the boat soaking wet. Of course the rain stops then…….In the afternoon we make a tackle to hoist the outboard motor, this because there are so many waves because of all those racing boats. We put the dinghy on the deck and otherwise we prepare everything for tomorrow.

9 may 2025
On May 9, 2016 we left the Netherlands with our boat Pegasus for an indefinite period and an indefinite destination. It’s been 9 years now, how time flies. Looking back on the past years, we can say with certainty that we have not regretted our decision to leave the Netherlands for a moment.

Of course we miss our family and dear friends who live in the Netherlands. You can’t just quickly go back to the Netherlands to have a nice cup of coffee or to comfort someone when needed. That can be quite difficult sometimes, but on the other hand, new friendships are formed along the way. Friends with whom we sometimes have very intensive contact. Sailors often understand each other without having to explain much. Stories are exchanged and situations are so recognizable, that quickly creates a special bond. Sailors seek each other out during ‘Happy Hour’ and there have been many of them in the past 9 years! Yes, yes, sailors do like a drink! You would almost think that alcoholism is linked to the sailor’s life.

Of course there is also a negative side, we have to say goodbye to friends very often during our journey. We never say goodbye, but always see you. You never know if you will meet each other again somewhere. The experience of the past 9 years has taught us that this is also the case, certainly with the sailors who, like us, have left for an indefinite period. We meet sailors of all nationalities and get to know the inhabitants of all the different countries and islands that we visit. Respect for the values ​​and standards of each country. You automatically learn to be flexible, otherwise you cannot sustain this life.

We like the way of life very much and we hope to be able to continue doing this for many years to come. This is also the reason that we bought another boat two years ago, `Mustang Sally`. We have adapted the boat to our lifestyle and age. Well, we are getting older and a few extra aids are never a bad thing. Although this life also keeps you young in another way because you learn something every day. Always busy figuring out where we are going, which route, when we have a good `weather moment`, which papers are needed, where you can buy water, diesel, petrol, groceries or where you can do the laundry. You have to figure everything out again every time and that keeps your mind active. The boat is becoming more and more our own and we are very happy with her. So as long as our health allows it, we want to continue this life, what we do after that, we will see then.

What a huge amount of experience we have gained in these years, in sailing of course, but also in other areas. We are a good team together because we both have our own view on things. Fred is the epitome of down-to-earth and I react more from my feelings. Life on board sometimes presents challenging situations, but together we always find a solution. We have our own qualities and complement each other well. We have learned not to be led by stress, are not easily scared and have learned to put things into perspective. How privileged we are to live this life that we do. Seeing poverty in other countries and that people are happy with small things. That money does not make you happy, but is only useful when you have a bit more to spend. We are rich, because of all the experiences we gain and it has certainly changed our view of the world.

Let’s not forget our boat cat ~Kit~. He was not yet one year old when we left and now 9 years later he has really become a real `live aboard cat`. Nowadays he sleeps a bit more, after all he is getting older just like us, but now and then he can still be tempted with a game. It is and remains fun to have him on board. We are still happy to have him on board. He has adapted and is sometimes just as stubborn as his owners. We hope to travel around with him for many years to come.
Let’s get some things straight.
Days on the road:
3287
Number of nautical miles sailed:
18,445 (since 2011)
Countries and islands visited:
23 countries/more than 20 islands
Languages ​​spoken:
Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Papiamento
Forms of transport etc.:
Rental car, local buses, local boats, quad, bicycle, paddleboard, cable car, zip-line, golf cart

5 may 2025
Departure: 8:00 uur
Arrival:  12:00 hour on 6 may 2025
Nautical miles: 120

This morning at 6:30 am got up, had breakfast and calmly prepared the boat for departure. It looks like we will have little wind. Just watch out for the seaweed posters when leaving. We sail on the engine with the mainsail up until we are a little past the islands and on the right course. Then we roll out the Genoa, which goes a lot smoother now that the furling has been repaired. After about an hour we turn off the engine. We wave goodbye to Guadeloupe, on to the next island, one we have never been to before, St. Lucia.
The speed is now between 3 and 4 knots, which is of course not much but pleasant. It is a sunny day and when we look at the island of Dominica we see that there are big dark clouds hanging above. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the rain will be spared us.
At this speed (average 4 knots) we should arrive at St. Lucia around 15:00. Let’s wait and see. In the afternoon the wind drops completely and we start the engine again. Around 17:30 we can turn it off again because the wind picks up a bit and we now have an average speed of 5 knots. During Fred’s watch (22:00-02:00) Fred starts the engine again, so that we can generate some power.
It’s nice that there is a moon tonight, at least until my watch from 02:00-06:00. A dark watch with a lot of stars. We are not going as fast anymore, only 3.5 knots. Fortunately the wind picks up a bit later. It is striking that we hardly see any boats, or jumping fish and also no birds. It is a pity that we do not see any dolphins. In the early morning the wind comes out in a wind that is not so favorable for us, which means that we have to deviate from our planned route. As soon as we get closer to St. Lucia we will adjust the course a bit. It promises to be another beautiful sunny day and now the expected arrival time is around noon. The wind is changing a bit, which makes us a bit more favorable. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of seaweed here that we have to try to avoid. This does not always work, which means we have to put the engine in neutral and then in reverse to have the propeller cleared of seaweed.

As an aside, we hear from friends and read on various sites on the internet that seaweed is a big problem in the entire Caribbean. Beaches are full of it and that is not so nice when an island is mainly focused on tourists who expect to lie on a beautiful white beach in the sun.

We approach the bay and at exactly 12:00 we drop anchor. We dive into the water together to see if the anchor is in the right place. The anchor is lying on its side and is not dug in. The bottom here also consists mainly of rocks. We do not trust it and decide to anchor again. The second attempt seems to go a lot better, but to be sure we turn on the anchor alarm app. We are still busy when a police boat comes to us that wants to come on board. A friendly lady welcomes us to St. Lucia and asks a few questions. After our lunch we hoist the dinghy into the water, hang the outboard motor back on and then Fred goes to immigration and customs alone, which are located in the Marina. I stay on board to keep an eye on whether we are indeed anchored properly. In the meantime I tidy everything up, put our mosquito nets back on and tie up lines to prevent rattling.

After an hour Fred returns. No extra costs for customs and immigration, but he did have to pay the Harbour Master EC $30.00 (€ 10.00). We are busy when suddenly a very special boat comes alongside. This turns out to be the well-known `Gregory`, the man sells fruit and vegetables. His boat is full of plastic containers with all sorts of things. He is a very friendly man and we have a chat with him. He has been doing this work for about 30 years, has 3 daughters and a granddaughter. One of his daughters bakes banana bread which we really have to try. It all looks good, so we decide to buy some fruit. Finally (yes, he knows how to sell it well) we buy: 1 large bunch of bananas, 8 tomatoes, 3 cucumbers, banana bread, coconut cookies, 2 bottles of passion fruit juice without sugar and a bottle of rum punch. All this costs EC $ 120.00 (€ 40.00), which is certainly not overly expensive. We still had food for tonight on board so we don’t have to leave to buy anything. Now relax and tomorrow another day on a new island.