We left Montserrat on a partly cloudy morning, for a five-hour, 36 nautical mile sail to the city of Deshaies on the island of Guadeloupe. Deshaies, by the way, is pronounced Day-Hey in French. We’ve found that French is not the easiest language to pick up, so we’re thankful for the translation apps on our phones.
From the moment we pulled into Deshaies Bay, I knew I was going to love this quaint little village. The Bay is surrounded by lush green hills and the most charming backdrop of Creole houses, a church steeple, waterside restaurants, and fishermen casting their nets. Deshaies is so adorable that it could be pictured on a postcard. Well, come to find out from our friends on Bistari, it is actually the setting for the BBC and French televised crime-drama, “Death in Paradise.” When Ken and Lynn first visited, they felt like they had already been there. To us, this village was just as special, with an authentic charm and laidback way of life.
Upon our arrival, just when we were getting ready to anchor, the rain came down in buckets. I quickly went to our cabin to get my new raincoat that our guest, Chilor, was kind enough to pack in his suitcase and bring to me. It sure came in handy!
We tried to find a spot to anchor, but the anchorage was full, so we decided to pick up a mooring ball instead. These balls are extremely heavy, and there are no pendants on them. I suppose one could lay on the bow of the boat and try to loop the lines through it, but this wouldn’t work on our boat; our freeboard is way too high for that kind of maneuver. So Chilor got in the dinghy and drove to the bow of the boat while I threw him the lines. Then he looped them through the ring on the ball, threw the lines back to me, and I secured them on the cleats, while Kory was expertly driving the boat. We were thankful that Chilor was with us to help. If we ever run into this kind of mooring ball again, we can pick it up from the stern first, walk the line to the front of the boat, and then secure it. It will definitely be more of a challenge, but it will be a worth a try.
We arrived on a Sunday afternoon when the customs office was closed, so we had to wait until the next day to check in. We found the process to be so quick and easy on the French islands. The customs and immigration office is housed in a grey cargo container behind the small fishing-boat marina behind the breakwater. It only took five minutes to get cleared in, cost a mere five Euros, and the agents were super friendly. The only surprise was the fee for the mooring balls. Someone in the anchorage led us to believe that they were free, but that’s no longer the case. The fee is $25 per night. Each morning, a customs official visits the boats on mooring balls to collect the daily fee. You can anchor in the bay for free, but we opted for a ball for two nights since space was limited; and, it turns out they didn’t even charge us for the first night.
We were eager to get off the boat and walk around town. The showers had stopped and the pavement had that certain earthy smell after a rain. The stores were mostly closed since we arrived on a Sunday afternoon, but it was nice to stretch our legs and tour the sleepy little town before sunset.
The town of Deshaies is a food haven
After walking around the winsome village of Deshaies, we decided to order pizza to take back to the boat for dinner. The sunset was beautiful and we were grateful to have arrived in Guadeloupe after two days of sailing from St. Kitts. We slept well that night, for sure.
At the crack of dawn, I heard roosters crowing and church bells chiming a beautiful tune. The waters in the bay were as smooth as glass and it was a tranquil place to be. Having now anchored up and down the west coast of Guadeloupe, and experiencing nothing but rolly bays, I probably would have stayed anchored or moored in Deshaies and rented a car from there to explore the rest of the island. Deshaise Bay is very calm with little to no roll (I guess unless an uncommon westerly wind were to come).
The next day, we walked around town a bit more and had lunch at La Savane restaurant on the waterfront, which was recommended by some friends. The service was fantastic, the ambiance was lovely, and the food was flavorful and expertly crafted.
The only thing we didn’t have the opportunity to do in Deshaies was visit the Botanical Gardens (Jardin Botanique de Deshaies). We hear they are the biggest and most stunning in all of Guadeloupe, with tropical flora, waterfalls, and a variety of birds and beauty. On our return north, we will definitely visit Deshaies again and tour what we missed. What a darling little town with an alluring terrain and culture!