Merry Christmas from Martinique
25 December 2016 | Ste Anne, Martinique
This is a very nice place to spend Christmas as we have cruising friends here too numerous to mention and it is truly France.
Our Christmas Eve comprised a Beach BBQ in the afternoon and a very traditional French evening at a local restaurant, La Dunette, where we ate and drank well, and danced the night away.
There is everything French that you could wish to buy in terms of food and drink, with very reasonable prices despite the weakness of £ Sterling, and at Le Marin there are excellent chandleries and marine services.
We arrived here, Ste Anne, on Thursday 15thDecember, having left Trinidad on Wednesday 7th December.
Our first leg was an overnight for the 123nm to Tyrrell Bay in Carriacou. We cleared the Boca de Monos by 1315 and were sailing close hauled. For the following seven hours the wind backed and veered and at times we needed engine assistance to make a course east of the gas platforms – the route to take boats safely away from any potential interference by Venezuelan naughty people.
Then we were able to bear away a little in 15kts wind and sailed into Tyrrell Bay at 0930. We had one “interesting” incident when we caught a floating line on the rudder and it caused the hydraulic pump to burst its sacrificial disc – it was replaced in 5 minutes and we were on our way again as the line freed itself.
We spent five days in Carriacou, finishing off a few boat jobs and starting our programme of relaxation. There were plenty of cruisers around and we had dinner one evening with a few other Brits. Then onwards.
First, the six and a half hours sail in 12 to 15kts wind to Admiralty Bay in Bequia where we anchored for the night, hoisting our courtesy and Q flags but not going ashore to clear in and out. Then the eleven hours and 70nm to Rodney Bay, St Lucia. Having to go up the west side of both St Vincent and St Lucia, we ended up in wind shadow and the wind always seems to shift to northerly off St Lucia but we had a cracking sail between the two islands. Again we anchored and did the Q Flag/stay aboard thing, sailing on to Martinique the next morning and making the 24nm in five hours with squall after squall. Still, the boat got a good wash down.
And there we were in Ste Anne, being greeted by old friends Robin and Cheryl on ‘Just Imagine’ and Graham and Joan on ‘Karma’ who we had not seen since 2011. There was a great reunion that night.
So, more Christmas festivities and we will linger a while before the next trip.