Hi Bruce - The best advice will be found in Doyle's Guide to the Leeward Islands. Get a copy well-ahead of time and you can decide what to do from there. I'd guess that you're chartering out of Point-a-Pitre? Aside from that place there are not many good anchorages in Guad. and the shores are strewn with many pot buoys - especially the east side of Bas Terre - they can be in 100' of water and 2 miles off the beach. It would be a shame if you are restricted to Guadeloupe only. Unless you are fluent in French, I suggest you leave Guadeloupe immediately and go to Les Saintes, which is an easy 20 mile sail, I mean motor, to the SSW. After spending most of your money there, motor another 20 miles SSE to Portsmouth, Dominica. Call Jeffrey or Martin on the VHF and take the Indian River tour. Do not anchor close to the beach and especially not near the north side of the anchorage. Rather than mess with the water maker, you can tie up to the water buoy and get fresh water cheap - last year we took 150G for EC$45. (about US$17.) It is said here that if Columbus returned to the Caribbean today, Dominica is the only island he would recognize. It is our favorite and you really should see it before it becomes like most of the other islands. Another treat is the common sighting of whales and dolphins - they are prolific in the waters of Dominica from November to June. It really is an easy day sail both ways in your sail-assisted power cat <BG> and I know the charter company will be sure you know how to operate that decorative mast before you go! Have fun! Regards, John "Seahorse" >we are chartering a lagoon 38 catamaran (twin engine trawler with a decorative mast) in guadaloupe feb 8 to 18. any cruising experience out there with tips on fun places to visit by boat in guadaloupe? **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)