Martinique
Moonbeam
David and Lynn Wilkie
Wed 19 Jan 2011 01:06
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14.27.903N 060.52.516W
We checked out of Rodney Bay marina and left at
09.00.We had been surprised to see a Swan called "Starcross" with OBAN on the
stern and as we cast off a chap from a 50' Oyster who had been berthed 2 boats
away for 6 nights asked if we really were from Argyll as he was from Loch
Caolisport!
The sail to Le Marin Martinique was on the wind in
20 knots of wind but it was bright sunshine and we slowly overhauled 2 other
ketches that had left before us! As we approached we could see a massive rain
squall coming and we even donned jackets as the wind gusted to 30 knots but it
was quick to pass through and we motored up the channel and anchored back in the
Eurozone again!
  Approaching Marin with rain squall
  at
anchor
Dry dock in bay in operation
  Le Marin is a major Caribbean yachting centre with
I imagine over 1000 yachts in the Bay but ashore everything is pretty laid back,
even Customs and Immigration is DIY on a computer with a French
keyboard!
After Grenadine prices everything is cheaper and
while a 'Department of France' and part EEA the vat rate is only 8%
!!
  The local 'yoles' go sailing
  On Sunday evening while enjoying a drink in the
Mango Bar with 4 other British boats we met Ju Randall from Ardfern who is
crewing a yacht from Plymouth to New Zealand, she had just arrived after a 25
day crossing with only 2 crew- we had it easy!
Le Marin has several excellent chandleries with
spares stocks such as I have never seen before and I enquired at the Raymarine
dealer if he had the gears I needed to repair the autopilot rotary drive.He
pointed at a rubbish bin and said they had scrapped one last week and I was
welcome to the parts!- by a double helping of luck the gears were in perfect
condition so I have now rebuilt the drive!
The local market sells excellent fruit, veg and
spices and most of the women running the stalls are colourfully dressed- some in
traditional long dresses and others in matching T shirts and hot
pants!
The weather has continued to be variable with some
seriously heavy rain squalls which would not be out of place in Argyll- except
they are not cold! With all the yachts there is always plenty to watch and there
are always changes in the anchorage.
 While in one of the supermarkets I noticed a wine
called "Wine After Work" and while it was probably not named with us in mind I
reckoned we still meet the criteria!
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