Trois Ilets
Timeless
Tue 11 Feb 2014 16:25
February 11th, 2014
Position: 14:32.745N 61:02.037W
Just a very short sail this morning - 7 miles around the corner into the 'Fort de France Bay. Fort de France is the capital of Martinique and a third of the resident population live there. It is quite a large bay with lots cruise liner and cargo ship movements. We will be going to Fort de France as it is considered one of the 'most happening' places in the Windward Islands but for now we are heading for the other side of the bay from the capital to the little sleepy town of Trois IIets.
Fantastic sail! With the wind slightly ahead of our beam and blowing 20+ knots it was all we could do to keep the boat under 9 knots.
I love having the bottom of the hull cleaned!
We were soon motoring around 6 or so almost derelict sailing boats at anchor where clearly the owners had decided to leave them here foe a few months at a time. Just another 3 transient boats like us. It is a good job we always use the latest paper and digital charts because the 'actual' depths (and the ones in our charts) versus the ones displayed in our cruising pilot book were very different.
It became obvious there was only a few spots we could really anchor.
This is when we found out that the holding in the sea bed was a bit 'iffy'.
After 3 tries around one spot we decided to move 200 meters to another spot and DID actually find good holding.
Since then then we have seen another 3 sailing boats arrive and each of them had to try several times to get good holding for their anchors too.
It would be nice if the pilot book were to mention this as it is clearly an issue that needs a mention.
The wind was very light to non-existent over night and first thing we decided to sort out our genoa once a for all!
Background.
As we were sailing the last 100 miles on our Atlantic sail our genoa decided to refuse to open. It was if it was saying, "Now look here! I've sailed 2,900 miles for you now I need a rest." Then downed tools. The furling was clearly jammed for some reason in a definite manner hard and solid not like a rope tangled for example.
When we arrived in St Lucia I arranged for a local Sailmaker/Rigging expert to look at, inspect and repair whatever it was that was wrong.
I left them to do the repair whilst I had to fly back to Toronto.
When I arrived back in St Lucia it had apparently been fixed (although a little expensive).
Within minutes of leaving Rodney Harbour for our trip to Martinique it was obvious that we had the same fault! The genoa would not open still.
Whilst at anchor in Grande Anse d'Arlet I took the furling mechanism apart myself (there is a first time for everything) and it was obvious that I'd need to drop the genoa to complete the job.
I believed that the problem was adjustment of both the furling mechanism AND the sail halyard.
But the wind was always too strong to be comfortable to let the BIG genoa sail flap about.
Back to the moment..
Whilst the wind was light we opened the genoa. The genoa was now turning with no pressure from the wind on it.
The genoa fully opened.
It seemed that the genoa halyard was 5cm too loose - like it was actually loose around the furling mechanism.
(Les also mentioned that the so-called riggers in St Lucia hadn't bothered to open the genoa to check their work.)
We tightened the genoa halyard - a simple fix. The furler worked beautifully - job done.
Now, the positions of all the halyards on the mast have been marked with a black marker pen.
We think the genoa halyard was loosened by accident back in Tenerife.
As 'we' lowered the jib halyard for the jib to be removed and taken off to the sailmaker for repair, we found that the genoa and jib halyards had been incorrectly labeled at the factory.
i.e.. We lowered the halyard labeled as jib only find that it was actually the genoa halyard.
We put it back in the original spot - we thought - but clearly we didn't. We didn't by 5 cm too loose.
The boat sailed 2,900 miles on the genoa incorrectly tensioned before finally the furling swivel gave up!
I'm REALLY losing faith in so-called yachting professionals!
grrrr... We also noticed that a little sail cloth flap on the genoa leech that covers the adjustment for the leech was also torn when we did the big sail. Another job that needs to be fixed. But the trouble with that one is that I'll need to take the genoa off first.
Another job for the 'LIST'.
Having spend a terrific quiet night at anchor we decided to motor the 1/2 mile over to the little town to investigate.
Trios Ilets claim to fame is as the birth place of 'Josephine', as in Bonaparte. You might think that the little town would use this as a great tourist attraction but although her birth place is open to the public you wouldn't really know about it unless you read about it elsewhere.
Trois Ilet is VERY sleepy. Just a few shops, perhaps the odd place that might do a meal if nothing fancy and a couple of very small bars with white plastic chairs.
(I don't get white plastic chairs in bars. I can't think of anything more unappealing to passer byes.)
The little town has a bakery, butcher and a fresh vegetable market everyday - maybe the best quality we have seen for a few days since.
Trois Ilet has a super bay frontage. This picture was taken as we drank our coffees sitting on a ubiquitous white chair in the local cafe.
As I write this I'm noticing another yacht is having problems getting his anchor to hold..