Grand Anse D'Aret
Starcross Fair Log
Ross Wilson
Sat 8 Jan 2011 22:56
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Current Position 14:30.2N 61:05.2W
We left Le Marin with a good 10-15 kt trade wind,
and under genoa made a fast passage past Diamond Rock (manned by the British as
HMS Diamond as they had run out of ships, and decided that this is where they
would station one if they had it) and into the Baie de Fort de France.
We had initially hoped to berth in the small
Marina Pte du Bout so we could go out for Chris' bday in the eve,- however after
no response on the radio, and a brief look in showing it was very full we
instead anchored in the very picturesque bay outside called Anse Mitan. Al and
Chris then took the ferry across to Fort de France. An interesting town full of
lots of small boutiques, with like the rest of Martinique a very French feel.
Alex was left on anchor watch. Alex spent the first half an
hour convincing herself that the boat was not moving and staring at a
sea gull on a nearby buoy marking the ferry channel and then cooking beoef
borginion. In the eve we celebrated Chris becoming older with a galette du rois.
The next day we leisurly made our way up the coast
to a town called St Pierre for the next two nights at anchor. The town of 30,000
people had been smothered by a volcano in 1902, killing all but a few. Now a few
thousand people live there and new buildings are built on top of the old ruins.
We walked around the town, bought fresh fish from fishermen, went to the market
and walked up a cliff.
Today, getting up at 3am, we had a plan to
sail around the top of Matinique to the reefs of the east coast, but one we
reached the top, the wind was gusting force 7 on the nose and would have proved
an uncomfortable and long beat around. Therefore we turned back south and are
now anchored in another picturesque bay called Grand Anse d'Arlet. It is more
busy with other yachts as we would have hoped for, but has gorgeous beautiful
clear water, where you can see the sea bed though 10m. The beach has lovely
white sand, but along with this expanse is the expanse of wrinkly elderly french
in speedos.
Our anchoring ability is improving and Alex was on
the helm for the last few times. Our anchoring snobbery is also
improving such that we're finding ourselves tut-tutting like true
yachty people when other people stuff it up, have put the wrong lights on,
or, heavens above, not taking the ensign down at sunset.
We hope to make it round to the east coast reefs
around the bottom of the island, before heading back to St Lucia on
Wednesday.
mlf
Al, Al and Chris
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