Boat Rides Are For Everybody

At Tropical Traveller we are always happy to recommend a boat ride as there is a vessel and an itinerary to please everybody: full day, half day, sunset cruise, private charter; catamaran and sailing boat; for youngsters through to oldies; for the mobile and the less abled. TT joined a group on board Sunkist, a catamaran in the Endless Summer Cruises fleet, to experience a few glorious hours on the ocean wave.

We were a motley crowd: a British couple with their (cute!) six-monthold daughter, a dozen school-age children of various nationalities, some serious party people in their twenties who were down from the States, a Canadian honeymoon couple, some “more mature” folk and a lady who was celebrating her 80th birthday. Captain Dalton and his crew welcomed everyone as if they were old friends. On land, Saint Lucia’s roads are not always the best, and potholes can lead to accidents, but on the boat your safety is paramount. Every welcome speech includes directions for where to find, and how to use, the life vests. That and the choice of beverages declared, it’s time to cast off those ropes and set sail!

Tour Options

At Endless Summer Cruises the aim is to make you happy! Their regular full day tours down the west coast include cruising into Marigot Bay, a visit to the Toraille waterfall, then on to the volcano or to the mud baths, a tour of an estate, and lunch. You will have wonderful photo opportunities, especially of the Pitons. On the way back there is also a stop for swimming and snorkeling.

Another option on the organised tours is the Land and Sea day trip. After driving down to Soufriere and seeing the sights along the way, the catamaran meets you at the dock and ferries you back north. On board there is complimentary rum punch, beer, soft drinks and drinking water. And music - cue dance moves from the party crowd! The cost includes transfers to and from any accommodation in the north of the island as well as admission fees. Elisabeth from Canada, one of the passengers on Sunkist, summed up her day for us: “I loved being out on the water and we packed so much into one day. This was my number one trip.”

Private Charters

The largest catamaran can accommodate 80 people although Endless Summer Cruises caters for any size group. “We do what you want to do,” is their attitude, whether it’s a private charter for a business group or a wedding party. The company can arrange lunch or you can do your own thing; the choice is yours.

If you’re lucky . . .

The crew have fishing lines at the back of the catamaran. Often they will catch a fish or two. On our day out it was two good-sized dorado. Watching them being reeled in had everybody in awe. Somebody that night was going to have a tasty supper of fresh fish!

Sometimes schools of dolphin will swim alongside the boat. It’s pure joy watching them speed along just below the surface, even jumping out of the water - for their entertainment and ours. And you might even be lucky enough to spot a turtle.