First passage on the wind since leaving Cascais on the 24th of October and also the first since that date that Anne and I were alone together sailing Shelduck. It was a long and then a short tack into Marin and as we entered the narrow channel I had to put the helm hard over to avoid a practising Yole. We anchored for the night off the beach. Next morning there was a knock on the hull at 09.30 and were asked to move because of obstructing the route from beach for the Yole fleet to their racing area outside the harbour mouth. This of course we did as did many other yachts. The boats and crews looked so colourful as they passed in front of us.

There is an Annual Yole Boat Race, a week long event held late July early August. It is an island wide celebration unlike any other. It consists of seven legs over seven days. The race is followed by crowds on the shore and hundreds of boats at sea. Each race is punctuated with carnival style partying.

During their afternoon race we went to the fuel berth and filled with diesel and water but were unable to empty the holding tank. Racing was now over so we had plenty of room to anchor again and then called the marina but they had no space available.The marina is full of catamarans for charter so there is little room for visitors. We saw many,many Cats wherever we went in the Caribbean and they seem very suited to this cruising area.

On Monday the 13th we went ashore early in our small dinghy and bought dinner. It was too windy to go to weather in the dinghy to check in but I did not worry being in the EU. Ashore we met an Australian ARC couple we had met in Grand Canaria. They were having an argument and she was crying. Anne gave her a hug and cheered her up. When we returned to Shelduck there were boats anchored all around us including one who we thought was sitting over our anchor with the crew gone.

On Tuesday the 14th we breakfasted on the last of the eggs from Union Island and then went by dinghy into the marina and checked into Martinique Customs and Immigration which you can do yourself on a computer. No problem that we were in the country for 3 days, in any case the computer did not complain. I asked for a marina berth in the same office and were told we could have one immediately. We had heard that Tuesday was a good day to get a berth. On returning to Shelduck we stowed the dinghy on deck and as we were raising the anchor, with the cat almost on top of it, we tripped it too soon and we dragged and were lucky to avoid two other anchored yachts nearby.The French anchor very close together. Anyway we got away and safely and into a marina berth.

We had gone into the marina to help get stores but were disappointed that the supermarket next to the marina, DIA, had half empty shelves. Changing its name we heard from one person, going bust we heard from another. Would have to go to Carrefour on Friday. Later that Wednesday morning we walked towards the church in Marin to a ship chandler to service the hand held radio. We had lunch In Zanzibar and booked in for dinner on Thursday, a dinner which was really excellent. Best food since Anne’s Birthday in Cascais. After dinner we asked that they call a taxi for us and maybe because of their unavailability the proprietor drove us to the marina in her own car. She was familiar with our berth because she lived on a boat in the marina with her husband on a berth near us, As well as boats for charter there are also live aboards on the marina.

Friday the 17th was a relaxing morning and in the afternoon we went to the Capitainerie  to get a taxi to Carrefour to be told they would collect and return us to the marina. Went and did the shopping and were back in the marina in just over an hour.

An eventful time in Marin.