Grande Anse D'Arlet Martinique

Malua
Harry Watson Smith
Wed 30 Jan 2013 11:22
Malua is at 14:30.43N 61:05.32W at Grande Anse D'Arlet Martinique on 30/01/2013
It was time to move north. I had been in to the major town of Marin and visited the Carrefour, Leader Price and Dia to stock up on French wine and cheese. Of the former I think I have sufficient for the next four or five months unless the drains gets blocked. The latter will be eaten slowly on French bead every day.
I visited the local pharmacy to get my prescription lifesaving drugs. I ordered three months supply and had to come back the next day to collect them but like all thinks French they had made a mistake and one script was right while the other was short - the ones I had excess of. One day I will come to terms with the French way of doing things.
The sail westwards was easy with the wind behind. I soon poled out the genoa and was making good time at more than six knots. Comming round the headland had the usual veriable wind but I was ready for it having come this way before. The engine went on and I steamed into the bay with the wind right on the nose.
As I came closser to the middle of the bay there was a Hanse 48ft yacht messing around with their dinghy but as i came along side the steamed forward not giving me a glance or a second thought. Well I had the momentomen on them and to their supprise I turned in front of their bow as I maintained my course. Not a close encounter but just another example of not looking in their rear view mirror as they put the accelerator to the floor and pulled out on to the "road".
I picked up the mooring ball by comming along side it and thredding a line through the ring as I lay on the deck. It was just within reach. I then walked the line forward and secured it at the bow. No problems.
The big Hanse had someone in their dinghy to put the line through the mooring ball ring. They took it to one side and secured it then went below.
The wind then rose ahead of a rain squall and Malua and the Hanse swong on their moorings. It became clear to me that the Hnase had smagged it's mooring line around its bow thruster and the mooring buoy was against the opposit side of the bow and causing damage.
I swam over with my swimming goggles so see what was going on. Their line was tight around the protruding bow thruster. I hailed the yacht and the skipper came out. "do you know your mooring line is round your bow thruster?"
No. "Would you like some help?" yes.
OK. Loosen the port line, get a second line and I will atempt to untangle this mess. I dived down and pulled and untan gles the mess. After a minute or two I had untangled the line. "Ok you can secure the line the mooring buoy is now free".
"Thanks"
I swam off with not more than a single thanks from the Hanse person.
Later that afternoon the fellow drove past Malua as we went into the dinghy dock. I expected a wave or atlease another thank you but nothing. The British are funny about gratatude quite unlike the French man I helped untangle his anchor in Margot Bay. He sent over a 1 large bottle of rum for my effort.
A magical moment on Malua