Kent, our friend Rich, and I left Pointe-a-Pitre for Deshaies (pronounced Day-yay), a town and harbor on the west side of Guadaloupe. We sailed south from Pointe-a-Pitre, expecting good wind and an uneventful sail. About an hour out, Kent adjusted the mainsail and the main halyard shredded, making it impossible to raise or lower the mainsail. In 20 knot winds, we were forced to cut the line. Luckily, this was done safely, but we were too far on our way to turn back. Thank goodness for cell phones! We called Pointe-a-Pitre and the woman who sold us our anchor and chain recommended a rigger. So, we contacted the rigger, motored rather uncomfortably to Deshaies, and holed up in their lovely harbor for a couple of days. The rigger finally came with a new line and re-rigged the halyard. Never a dull moment!
In the meantime, we enjoyed Deshaies, a charming and sleepy fishing village with several restaurants and boutiques. It's a working fishing port, but has a nice beach and some trails for hiking and running. Deshaies has a very sheltered bay surrounded by green hills and rock. It was a lovely place to anchor and explore.
I really liked Deshaies and hope the following pictures convey the local color and feel of this quaint little fishing town.
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