After a month of celebration and many visits from home, we are leaving Martinique where we have been sailing since mid December. We are now looking forward to sailing North and being just the two of us. Sailors are a sort of Gipsies and like to move on and experience new places, and so do we. So next stops are Dominica, Ile de Saintes, Marie Galante, Guadeloupe and Antigua. We have planned to be in Antigua by the 24/1 to pick up our new sails, after a delamination problem, which happend around Xmas.
Martinique is a wonderful green and very civilized French island. You can repair your boat, you can buy anything and people are very nice. The communication is as if you were in Europe, so very convenient and they do mostly speak french…
We have been hiking, seen the East coast, visited a sugar plantage and a rum manufacturer and many more. We have anchored in St. Anne, Grande Anse, Le Marin, Fort de France and St. Pierre and all were very nice and convenient bays. Our favorite is Grande Anse. A few tips. Deep Turtle diving in Grand Anse are really great – ask for Max. Their is also a great restaurant called Ti Sable, all the way up in northerly end of the beach, call for reservation! In Saint Anne you should enjoy the beach and a restaurant in the bus station! No you are right, it looks like a place you would not eat, but their meat is fantastic. Le Marin is very good for repairs and have experienced people, and ask for Philippe at Caraibe, he will absolutely sort you out.
We learned the hard way, that it is important to tie up your dinghy safely, as one night we were heading in for dinner – it was gone. It was in Saint Anne, and from there next stop is open sea all the way to Saint Lucia. A very friendly boat next to us volunteered their dinghy and against all odds we found it after a couple of hours search and despair in the dark and windy evening. Another sailor, just 300 meter from us had picked it up, when it came drifting. It was great to feel how helpful our fellow sailors were.
When Martinique had to vote for independence and decided to stay in France, they made the right choice, it is a much more affluent island than others and it has kept its beauty.