Bequia to Martinique

Oriole
Sun 21 Dec 2003 19:51
We were up and underway on Sunday morning at first light which is about 0530 and had a cracking sail across the Bequia Channel between Bequia and St Vincent.   
 
                            Bequia Whaler waiting for a launch.
 
We soon lost the wind in the lee of St Vincent, but nearing the north end of the island you get blasted from the mountains and round the end of the island.  Forewarned by a yacht being dismasted in this spot earlier this year we were well reefed and in the event had nothing over 30 knots.  It is short lived and then you are out in the ocean for the 30 miles to St Lucia which can be a dead beat, but again we were lucky and we had a fast close reach, until we were in the lee of St Lucia where the wind fell light again.  We anchored at 1530 in Marigot Bay almost landlocked by a palm covered sandspit.  60 miles in 10 hours is not spectacular, but fast enough. Landfall on the south of St Lucia is spectacular with its impressive twin Piton peaks falling straight into the sea. We stayed long enough in Marigot to clear in and out with the Customs. After a night in Rodney Bay where the yachts which had crossed the Atlantic with the ARC  were coming in thick and fast we sped on to Martinique.  Now we were back in 'Europe' we were debating whether we really needed to clear in but when the enormous Douanes Francais launch put in an appearance in three of the anchorages we subsequently used, we were very relieved that we had.  We are now anchored in the enormous sheltered anchorage off the typically French seaside village of St Anne at the south east corner of Martinique. 
There are about 20 other Ocean Cruising Club yachts here and we plan a big party on the beach on Christmas Day having had a restaurant blow out the night before for rather smaller gathering. It all seems to be one round of parties and feels much like Newton Ferrers at Christmas. We still have not felt the force of the Christmas Winds which are usually blowing strongly by now and at night we have had flat calms.  Without doubt they will be here with a vengeance before long and we will be well reefed for our open water passages. A very happy Christmas from us both to anyone still reading.