When we headed south last spring from Rodney Bay we passed Marigot Bay which is just about 30 minutes south and thought “what a pretty place”. So fast forward 8 months and we’re here for Christmas!
The marina is part of the resort property so we had access to all the resort amenities which includes several very good restaurants and an infinity pool. Friends were arriving by boat On the 24th and our good friends Jenny and Chris were flying in the day after Christmas for a visit and some diving.
We said goodby to our amazing boat cat, Isabella, December 23rd, in what was a very bittersweet moment. She had gotten sick and quit eating so at 21+ we decided it was time. Animals on boats are a test of your ability to keep the boat clean and finding someone to care for them when you need to leave for any reason. Isabella was 18 years old when we moved onto the Laa Dee Dah. We didn’t really expect her to still be with us but there you are. She flew to Florida from Virginia with Betty to board the boat and bring it back to Virginia and then lived on it full time with us for several years. She seemed to really love being on the water with the scenery and all the attention she could handle.
Christmas Eve we cleaned the inside of the boat and removed all the cat hair and toys and cat beds. At Rodney Bay we donated the cat food and kitty litter that we still had. No more animals until we are land based again. We will miss Isabella every day.
Christmas Eve and many days and nights after, Rudy was on the bow. He was definitely a hit with the kids young and old! Christmas Eve we spent at the resort restaurant for a very nice dinner surrounded by carols and decorations.
We got in a couple days of diving before taking the boat out overnight and then on to Rodney Bay for more diving and revelry. A friend who has a house on St Lucia recommended a very nice restaurant, Cap on the Cliff, that we tried out for NYE. Then back to the boat for naps and up for the fireworks at midnight. It seems our age is catching up with us as we were all usually in bed by 9 or 10pm so staying up till midnight was a task!
We managed to get in six dives over a three day period with Jenny and Chris and even managed to find a seahorse on the last dive.
Spagetti worms are really interesting. They look like pieces of white string but if you touch a tendril it will retract very quickly. They are everywhere!
We’ll be here in Rodney Bay for a few weeks until our parts come in for the davit repair. Then on to Martinique and points north.