We left Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia early in the morning for a 50 nautical mile sail (about 7-1/2 hours) to the Chateaubelair anchorage on the west coast of Saint Vincent. My jaw dropped when we pulled into the anchorage and I saw what I would refer to as “paradise.” The scenery was incredible!
We found an idyllic spot to anchor in sand near a rock wall teaming with coconut palm trees, hanging vines, and lush vegetation. We arrived mid-afternoon when the sun was bright overhead, making the water pop with vivid colors. I was repeatedly saying things like “Wow,” “This is absolutely incredible,” “I feel like I’m in paradise,” and “God is Amazing!” This was the the most beautiful anchorage we have visited in all of our travels. The scenery was wondrous and the water was a crystal clear tropical teal. Did I mention that it was incredible?
However, the Chateaubelair anchorage has another side to it that is not so wonderful. Upon anchoring, we were immediately approached by a young man on a paddle board who kept circling our boat and expected us to stop what we were working on to engage. He seemed kind enough, but he kept asking personal questions and pestering us to give him something. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to leave until we did. So, in order to not upset him, we gave him some food and some change and told him “thank you, but we don’t need any services, we’re just anchoring for the night.” We understand that this is a poor fishing village and these people must look at us as and see abundance, so we are happy to give, but any kind of pestering or harassing makes us uncomfortable.
I stayed on the boat while Kory went to shore to clear in with customs. We read on Navionics that Chateaubelair is an easy place to clear customs. But from the moment Kory stepped on the dock, he became cautious. He said that people had hard faces and were staring at him coldly. After finding no one at the customs office, and almost giving up, Kory finally saw a custom’s official coming out of a shack behind the main office, wearing a badge taped onto his shirt, and looking rather disheveled. There was no computerized check-in process, so Kory had to manually fill out the paperwork, which was understandable in this location. It cost a normal $70 EC ($25 US) and we were officially cleared to be in Saint Vincent and The Grenadines. Kory wasn’t too excited to remain on land after his unpleasant greeting, so he hurried to get back to me and the boat. Although many of the people are likely friendly, we didn’t experience a welcoming vibe.
While Kory was checking into customs, another young man on a paddle board approached our boat. In hindsight, I should have stayed inside the boat while Kory was gone, but I was outside with Gracie and couldn’t avoid interacting with this young man as he paddled right up to the back of our boat without me even seeing him first. He made several “knowing statements” such as, “Your husband is checking in, so you’re just waiting for him, right?” He was trying to get me to confirm his statements, but I changed the subject and never answered him. Instead, I called inside and said, “I’ll be there in a minute,” to make him think there may be someone else onboard. I told him that we were already working with another man who came by earlier to help us. After hearing that, he left. Thankfully, Kory was in his dinghy on his way back to the boat.
We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, snorkeling, and enjoying the beautiful water. Gracie enjoys swimming too and got to partake in the activities with us. It was a refreshing time.
When I started making dinner, several other young guys on paddle boards came to the back of our boat. We were inside with the drapes and door mostly closed. They knocked on our boat a couple of times and called out, “Hey my friend, come here.” Then several more times, “My friend, my friend, come here.” We stayed inside and ignored their pestering until they left. Right or wrong, we did not want to engage any more that evening.
As beautiful as this anchorage is, we won’t return, and we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. The guys on the paddle boards asked too many probing personal questions, harassed us more than normal, looked like they were surveying our boat, and made us uncomfortable. We were skeptical of their motives, so we took extra precautions after dinner to secure the boat. We not only raised our dinghy on the davit, but locked it thoroughly as well. Then we attached the lifelines and strung lines across the sugar scoop steps as a deterrent. We removed our fishing poles that were hanging above our dingy and brought them inside the salon for the night, along with a few other items that were loose in the cockpit. We also zipped down all of our enclosures to dissuade anyone from getting onto our boat and stealing anything.
Once inside, we locked the door and all of the hatches. Then we turned on the lights in the port cabins and closed all the blinds to make it look like someone might be awake. We set our bright flashlight by the door to blind any intruders should they step aboard, and we kept a horn nearby to wake up the anchorage in case of any suspicious activity. This is the first time in all of our travels through the United States, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Caribbean that we have felt unsafe.
In addition to all of the physical steps we made to secure the boat, we spent time praying and asking the Lord to put a hedge of protection around our boat and those in this anchorage. We prayed that no weapons formed against us would prosper. Kory got up a couple of times in the night to survey the boat and the anchorage. Praise the Lord, come morning, we were protected from any theft or harm, and God truly answered our prayers.
We later read on some of the forums that many cruisers have been boarded at night in this anchorage and have had items stolen. Reportedly, the thefts have been done by locals who swim from the shore to the boats and then grab whatever they can find off of the boats, quickly, and quietly (fishing poles, loose cash and electronics, etc.). We were thankful that we didn’t experience any thefts. What a shame, for such a beautiful place!
I am reminded of the instructions from the Word of God to “remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10). This is something we are eager to do, but it’s a fine line between giving to the poor and getting taken by them. We pray for wisdom to know the difference. And we pray for the people in this village of Chateaubelair. May God stir in their hears a desire for Him and His ways, and may He provide their needs and lead them to a deep conviction so they are no longer driven to steal. I will remember Chateaubleair, but mostly in prayer!