In Ste Anne’s we took the children to an inflatable water play park, which they absolutely loved. We then found a really lovely beach and spent 2 days just playing and swimming. In Martinique they race these strange looking boats called Yoles and we were lucky enough to see these racing one day (see photo!). We then decided to move on around to Petite Anse d’Arlette. We had a great sail in about 27 knots of breeze, past Diamond Rock which was commisioned as a ship years ago (HMS Diamond Rock) as it was decided it was where the British would station a ship if the rock was not there! Petite Anse D’Arlette is a beautiful little (very rolly) anchorage with a beach and a lovely rock in the middle of the bay. We were able to snorkel around the rock with Arthur and Alice (on her see through body board!) and saw some wonderful fish and even an enormous Turtle. 

We then left early in the morning and had an excellent reach to Ste Pierre. There was plenty of breeze and our max speed was 9.8 knots which made it a very quick trip under full main and jib past the capital Forte de France. Our destination, Ste Pierre is very interesting. It used to be the Capital city, but in 1902 the volcano "Mt Pellie" which overlooks the city errupted killing 30,000 inhabitants and wiping out the city in one swoop. We spent this afternoon exploring the ruins and visited the tiny prison where one of the two only survivors of the tragedy, was during the eruption! Swimming off the back of the boat later on yielded our first boat pet. A baby lobster called Bertie. Bertie is currently suspended in his bug pot (thank you Anne) under the bimini while discussions ensue over what to feed the poor blighter. I have never seen this before, but there was a flock ??? (sorry experts in animal group names) of thousands of these tiny lobsters, about 4mm long. They look like tiny see through versions of the adult and they nipped my ankles in the water when I was standing on the stern ladder.