Baie Sainte Anne - Part I
After a couple hours on Curieuse Island we motored the short distance back to Praslin Island and found a mooring ball at Anse Petite Cour. We had some trouble getting attached to the mooring line but eventually got it sorted out and spent a restful night with the psychological reassurance that comes with not swinging on an anchor. A new resort was under construction on the beach, so there wasn’t much reason to go ashore. Just after sunrise, a local schooner took another mooring ball not far from us, framed by a rainbow from passing rain shower. It was the first monohulled vessel we’d seen since leaving Eden Island.
After breakfast we slipped our mooring line and motored around Pointe Zanguilles and the north shore of Praslin Island, steering clear of the many rocks that dotted the channel. We stayed outside of Round Island and entered the channel into Baie Sainte Anne (which looks quite different now than the map of 1892).
A man named Mr. Robert – mentioned by name in many of the guidebooks – met us in a little power boat and gave us instructions for rafting up to what might politely be called a fixer-upper, which swung from a mooring ball in the tiny harbor. After we were securely tied up, we loaded hiking gear into the dinghy and headed to a sandy boat ramp shaded by huge, leafy trees.
Real sailors don't need to inflate their dinghies
Boat "ramp"
Mr. Robert had called a cab to take to us all to the Vallée de Mai National Park. We perused a tiny nearby shop that was surprisingly well-stocked and bought water and snacks to take with us while we waited for the van to arrive. When it did, we all piled into the air-conditioned vehicle and sped off to pay a visit to the extremely rare Coco de Mer.