23 May – 23 June 2010
Another overnight passage with variable light winds meant we motorsailed for part of the way. We went straight to the anchorage at Le Marin in the south of Martinique, another French island, as we only intended a short stay to pick up a new Ship’s Registration document (to be couriered to the Poste Restante address at the Post Office), and to buy some extra anchor chain as the length we had was too short.
The town of Le Marin is spread along the bay, the older part in the centre with the newer commercial areas at the ends, with dinghy docks in the various parts. We visited all of them, checking out the good French supermarkets, small shops, bars and restaurants, and yacht services including three or four chandlers.
We very soon met a lovely American couple, Dave & Michelle on Daniell Storey, who are descended from some of the original pioneers to America. They introduced us to friends of theirs on other boats and we had a very sociable few days. As we are all travelling south for the summer we will keep bumping into each other.
We moved into the marina for a couple of nights so that we could attach the new chain and hammer in the length markers – very pleased to have this as we had been limited to anchoring in only 10 metres and some anchorages we couldn’t use as they are deeper than this.
Our registration document arrived – DHL, the courier company contacted us to say that the Post Office wouldn’t sign for it. (They had signed for couriered packages in France!) They asked for another address, and we suggested the marina office; this was no problem, they had delivered there before and would put it on the van again the next morning. Late the next morning Anne went ashore to see it it had arrived – the marina office had gone; even the Portakabin it had been in was half demolished. She asked around and found the new location in a new building at the opposite end of the marina, but it wasn’t there. She went back to the boat, phoned DHL to give them the new location – who said it had been delivered. Back to the new marina office, and one of the staff was just bringing it in from her car. 10/10 for the DHL service and marina staff. We were very relieved as the old document was now out of date.
Whilst waiting for suitable weather for the next passage we got on the local bus for a day out in the capital, Fort de France. A busy commercial town with lots of small shops and industrial parks on its outskirts. Not particularly attractive, but we came across the old library which was a fantastic building – unfortunately we had forgotten the camera.
After a short passage to Rodney Bay at the north of St Lucia, an ex-British island, we went into the marina. Whilst we were still tying up the boat, a couple on another boat were waving at us - to our great delight they were John and Ann of Moonlight who we had last seen in Madeira, nine months ago. We had a long chat, catching up on news. The evening was spent at a BBQ for the cruisers where we also saw other American and Canadian cruiser friends and made some new ones.
After three nights and some jobs done on the boat, we moved out to the anchorage. On shore one day we had an unexpected trip into the capital, Castries, as John passed us and offered a lift since he was picking up Ann and her mother in town. He dropped us by the large market where we had fresh coconut – drink the milk first through straws then ask the seller to chop it in half, he chops part of the shell off to make a spoon to dig out the soft flesh – it was absolutely delicious. We had a meander around (no camera with us) then stopped by the market for a lovely lunch of local food; the people on the next table started talking to us and we found they were also cruisers, two Dutch couples, also anchored in Rodney Bay.
To avoid another overnight passage, on 12 June we did the short trip to Soufriere on St Lucia where we took a mooring buoy for the night, then left at dawn the next morning for a day sail to Bequia, again an ex-British island, in The Grenadines where we anchored in Princess Margaret Bay near the main town, Port Elizabeth.
The next morning we started to lift the dinghy to where we inflate it on deck; Anne promptly screamed in agony as her back went. She crawled below onto the berth, and then wasn’t able to leave the boat for a week. Jim had to inflate and launch the dinghy, and lower the outboard engine on his own; he did all the shopping, cooking, washing up etc.
Finally able to get ashore, we went to the Bequia Book Club to help the children with their reading. A request for help had been broadcast a couple of days earlier on the Coconut Net, a Caribbean-wide net on the long distance radio (SSB) for cruisers to let others know where they are and keep in contact. The club is run by a local woman, Cheryl Johnson, an amazing woman with an immense personality who runs this reading club every Saturday. About 50 children turned up, who were divided into groups of similar ability. Each group had a book, from which each child read a page or so in turn – our job was to help with difficult words and oversee the discussion about the book that followed. Two or three children from each group in turn then gave a presentation on the book to the rest of the club. The enthusiasm of the children to read and the details they had picked up from the book, in spite of some very quiet and fast reading, was amazing. This was followed by drinks and cake and general chatter between the children and visiting cruisers, who included some children as well. We will certainly go along to help next time we are in Bequia as it was great to give something back to the local population and a most marvellous experience for us.
After another few days Anne was fit to sail again and we set off for Carriacou.
For St Lucia photos please click here
