Having completed our around the world rally celebrations, we needed to start our next adventure. Many of our companion boats would be heading back to Europe, but we had decided that we weren’t ready for that and would stay on the west side of the Atlantic for a little longer. Our first challenge would be to learn to live on the boat, rather than travelling quickly as part of a rally.
Our first priority to was to ensure that our food stores were well stocked. So, it was a quick 25nm sail to Martinique for a visit to Carrefour for essentials like cheese, pate and, of course, french bread.
Suitably restocked, we continued north. The wind was as expected, Force 4 (11-16 knots) from the east, so this meant a motor past Martinique and Dominica with brisk sailing between the islands. Twenty four hours and 125nm later, we were anchoring just outside the boundaries to Pigeon Island, Jacques Cousteau Marine Park on the west coast of Guadeloupe.
Although the rally was over and Tony and Katy, on board our buddy boat, Tam Lin, were planning to head back to the UK, our paths were still similar and, of course, we all wanted to re-dive this superb marine park. So, a stop here was a must for both boats.
The dive we chose was the Japanese Garden. The underwater landscape here was crowded with multicoloured tube sponges and large sea plumes like feather boas swaying in the current. Swimming through this beautiful garden, we were able to spot many of our favourite fish.
Whilst anchored here, Martin and Tony took the opportunity to night dive on the Fran Jack wreck. This 45m (135 feet) freighter was sunk in 1996. It has been stripped and lies flat on its keel on a sandy bottom in depth of 23m (77 feet). I am not keen on night dives, so opted for gin and tonic with Katy instead.
Leaving the marine park behind, our next stop was Deshaies. This beautiful, little bay at the northern end of Guadeloupe is a pleasant stop in any circumstances and has the added bonus (for us) of being the main location for the British TV series Death in Paradise.
We had visited many of the film locations on a previous visit in 2022, but this time our visit coincided with the beginning of filming for Season 15. Starting with the 2025 Christmas special, the Honore Police Station and the neighbouring church were decked with garlands, baubles and shining stars. This made it a very strange sight to see in April.
The car park was fenced off and full of lights, cameras and large trucks. We were close enough to catch a glimpse of the actors filming on the police station veranda, but the highlight of the morning was getting the chance to meet DI Mervin Wilson in person. Actor Don Gilet was just leaving to get something to eat, but got the driver to stop, so we could have a photo …such a lovely man!
We had a hire car to head to other locations from the series:
A lunch stop at the Langley Resort Fort Royal. This resort is used as a base for many of the crew during filming, but it has also been the set for several murders…none while we were there, luckily.
A new location for us was Government House where Commissioner Patterson is based. The building is actually the town hall in Pointe Noire, a small town several miles south of Deshaies.
On our road trip, we were also lucky enough to see the Shack where the resident detective lives. Last time we visited Guadeloupe, it had not been there, as it is taken down between filming to protect it from the elements. Situated on a popular beach with several beachside restaurants, clever filing makes it appear isolated.
Our day finished, just like they do in the episodes, with a drink at Catherine´s Bar!!