Cataja from Sint Eustatius

Sint Eustatius, or Statia to her friends. Here is a new island we discovered slightly by chance. We thought we would find an anchorage here for the night, we found much more here and it has become a real favorite! Starting with the magic walk during which we discovered a kind of pyramid worthy of Indiana Jones! Lianas, carpets of mosses, trees, stairways buried under part of the vegetation, we had the impression we were walking on the ground of a forgotten place. This was in fact the fortifications of Fort Oranje, which we were able to admire from higher up. But of course we didn’t go via the conventional entry path, and we very quickly found ourselves covered in dust, climbing into the place! Add to this the perspiration, the heat and the humidity - when we got back to Cataja, we went straight into the water! Otherwise, we have been impressed by this island’s history, and the number of buildings showing evidence of Statia’s rich past. More than 3000 ships and galleons of all kinds landed here in the time of pirates and slavery. So much business was carried out here, that the island was called the Rocher d’Or (the Golden Rock). We lost ourselves in the lanes, and soaked up the atmosphere. A few shops, children playing in front of their house or in what seemed to be a park, the goats, the stray cats, the proud cockerels in the middle of the road, the hens and their chicks crossing, the cows on the seafront, we discovered in Sint Eustatius a very wild side which we liked a lot, with the imposing dome in the background!

Who: Eurielle, Antoine, Antoine, Malo, Elian and Pacôme

Where: Sainte Eustache, West Indies

Boat: Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46

Blog: www.cataja.me