To St. Martin

 

We had our anchor up and were lifting our main at 5:30am out of Jolly Harbor for Anse de Colombier, St. Barts.  The morning was beautiful, it was still extremely dark and we couldn’t actually see much except the millions of stars enveloped around us. It was chilly but the breeze hadn’t kicked up yet.  After the first 7 miles it’s a straight line for St. Barts, 70 more miles.  We were making really good time with our full main and jib in conditions that were better than we expected- it was a nice day.  We arrived in under 12 hours and picked up one of the last mooring balls in Anse de Colombier.  We were there last year for a night. It’s a beautiful spot but this time it was really uncomfortable- a combination of chop and roll that reminded me of motoring into the wind on a crap day in the Chesapeake.  So we didn’t get much sleep and I was happy to get up and leave. 

 

We had planned to go into the lagoon on the French side of St. Martin but that would have required us beating into the wind for a portion of the trip as well as waiting half the day for the bridge to open.  Instead we went right to the Dutch side, only 15 miles from St. Barts.  We still had to sail slowing around for about an hour waiting for the 11:30am bridge opening but it was no big deal.   Typically we would not enter the Dutch side or anchor there simply because the customs fees are way, way more expensive than the French side.  We read of cruisers entering through the Dutch bridge but anchoring on the French side of the lagoon and clearing in there so that’s what we did- we figured at the most we would have to pay the bridge opening fee which is $30 US.   It’s nerve wracking to say the least while jockeying for the bridge opening.  There were 5 super yachts behind us, all of which had lead boats to report the depth as they went in, plus 6 other boats and the bridge captain wants everyone nearly stern to stern right up on the bridge by the time he starts opening the bridge- all this in 25 knots of wind and a channel 60 feet wide.  Anyway, we went through the bridge and actually got shouted at for being too slow. The rest is sort of scary because the electronic chart for the chart plotter is not really helpful and there are markers seemingly everywhere marking I’m not sure what.  Right now a new bridge is being built right at the Dutch/French border- we assume so people will no longer be able to get through one bridge and easily go to the other side.  The bridge looks close to complete and when we were there only two spans in the center were open to pass through and there is big dredging equipment being used next to the opening.  I was totally nervous, envisioning us running aground in the center of the span and our mast hitting the bridge but that didn’t happen.  The depth was never less than 12 feet. However, everyday we’ve been here an announcement has been made on the radio about another boat running aground at the bridge.  We will exit at the French side- which also has its challenges as far as depth goes, but we did it last year and should be fine. 

 

We anchored in about 12 feet of water by the “witches’ tit.”  We cleared in customs at the Capitanerie on the French side on the waterfront which has the self-registration on computers.  It’s 5 Euros.  The last time we were in St. Martin we cleared at the terminal in the main town by the anchorage and it was a much bigger deal so the Capitanerie is the way to go.

 

We met up with some friends that we haven’t seen in months and spent a few nights at Barnacles for happy hour.  Other than that we’ve finally been getting some chores done- we’ve taken a longer than usual but fun hiatus from some of the more time consuming boat work because of our busy travel and touring schedule!

 

My Dad arrives tomorrow for an 11 day visit.  Our plan is to visit Anguilla and St. Barts as well as some of the anchorages in St. Martin while he is with us.   Hopefully our friend, the weather, will cooperate!

 

Antigua

The 48 mile sail to Antigua was unexpectedly great.  We anticipated being harder on the wind, going into 6-8 feet seas as forecasted.  As it turned out we were able to head above our route anticipating having to fall off as we got closer.  We were really going fast most of the trip- between 6.5-9.5 knots with 2 reefs in our main.  We slowed as we approached Antigua but sailed all the way.  We ended up with two rips in our jib sail, not big ones but something to get fixed which we did in Falmouth Harbor.

Cruiser Stuff: We heard a number things about the fees associated with being in Antigua and it’s all a bit foggy.  In the cruising guide Chris Doyle writes some of the information but it seems to change.  Apparently the best/cheapest thing to do is to clear in at Jolly Harbor which is what we did.  We arrived, entered the channel and pulled up to the customs dock which has a yellow flag and is all the way at the end of the harbor.  The customs dock in the smaller dock directly in front of the yellow flag. There are two other concrete larger docks on the right of it that you could also tie to.  Clearing at the customs dock in mandatory and only the captain (Marty in our case) takes the papers in to clear.  The cost is $40EC ($15 US).  There are no other fees. Marty asked about the fees associated with being in Falmouth/English Harbor and the customs officer responded that we don’t have to pay them because we cleared there- that didn’t seem right to us but whatever.  After clearing we pulled off the dock, went back out the channel and anchored for the night.  The anchorage is calm enough and completely fine but there isn’t much attraction to stay there.

Deep Bay & St. Johns harbor from the ruins

Beach at Deep Bay

 The next day we went to Deep Bay where we were hoping to snorkel as there is a wreck there but as blue as the water appears, it’s not clear.  I’m not sure if that is the case normally or if there is something affecting the clarity.   We went on a short walk up the trail to the ruins where the view is really nice.  Afterwards we started walking toward the town of St. John, which is not close but we were out for an adventure and assumed we would get a ride by hitch hiking.  Once off the back road to the resort that is at the anchorage a very friendly girl picked us up and took us to St. John.  She told us we could get the number 61 bus to get back to a point and walk the rest of the way- which is what we did and actually had a very short distance to walk from the closest bus stop.  However, you probably wouldn’t find a bus coming all that way unless they we dropping someone off so I don’t recommend waiting for it.  The town has a good vegetable market and tons of other shops including the touristy ones at the cruise ship terminal.

 After Deep Bay we went to Falmouth Harbor and anchored- the anchorage is great with no swell and a good breeze.  We set off to do some exploring.  First walking to the historic Nelson’s Dockyard at English Harbor and made our way to Fort Berkley via the trail. We did a couple other walks from Falmouth taking the other trail from English Harbor that goes off to the right before you get to the fort- the trail leads to some really nice views and it continues around to the road that goes along the beach and then back to Falmouth Harbor- it’s a nice walk.  We also walked the road/trail toward Shirley Heights.  Part of the National Park is along the way with ruins, a small museum, and great views of the harbor. 

 We were in Falmouth Harbor for 3 or 4 days and were there during the Super Bowl.  The Wild Mongoose had a super bowl party and we went in our purple gear to cheer on the Ravens!  Our new friend, Marc, who we met in Dominica (see blog post) works as a chef on a 192 ft. yacht that is currently in Falmouth Harbor.  He gave us a tour of the galley, which has more built in refrigerators and freezers than most restaurants and the showed us around the rest of the boat too. 

 

Chris & Josh from "Liberty"

We also did a hash with another family who was in Grenada with us this summer hashing as well.  It wasn't quite as interesting and remote as the Grenada hashes but I'm glad we went- it was a 7 mile run through mostly fields and small dirt paths.   Since we were "virgins" we had to chug a beer (but I managed to chug a Ting instead!) and then I got "called out" for following another girl who ran across a corner instead of going around so I had to chug another beer (an actual beer this time).  Me and the same girl also got lost as we didn't keep up with the group when we tried to re-unite a lost and crying baby goat with it's Mom- that didn't work at all!

 Cruiser Stuff: For our groceries we took the dinghy to Catamaran Club Marina and walked the short distance to the supermarket which is the biggest and has the best selection/prices of any other place within walking distance- for a small store they have tons of vegetables and fruits.  We also found the one vegan/ital food shack in the area which is just a bit further from the super market- we had lunch there a couple times and it was great- vegan pizza, rotis, lasagna, fried vegetable balls, carrot cake, and lots of other stuff too.  We dropped our laundry off at a full service place across the street from the dinghy dock.  There is no option to do it yourself- she asked what time we wanted it ready and it was ready. The cost is $29EC (about $11 US) per load- not cheap but the best you’ll find.  We got our sail stiched at North Sails. Andrew (the owner) is really nice and got to our sail in one day.  They have massive sails in there from the big super yachts and he said it was easy to "work ours in."  They charge $80 US/hour.

beach at Green Island

Devil's Bridge

We made our way to Green Island which is stunning and likely one of the best anchorages we’ve been in.  Presently there are really nice mooring balls and there is no charge for them.  There is a great reef for snorkeling and lobster hunting- Marty caught a lobster which he happily ate for dinner.  There are also nice beaches and an interesting view from Devils Bridge.  I would say the only downside of the anchorage is that you can’t see the sunset to the horizon as it goes behind the mainland first- it’s a rough life sometimes!

We were hoping to go to Barbuda but more northerly weather in the forecast cancelled that idea for us.  We have to be in St. Martin next week to meet my Dad and it’s possible we wouldn’t have enough time to wait out the weather here, go to the other places we want and then be in St. Martin in time.  So instead we went back to Jolly Harbor to clear out on Saturday (today.)  It’s not required to pull up to the customs dock to clear out so we dinghyed in from the anchorage.  No fees to clear out either and they didn’t ask us about being in Falmouth or English Harbor so the fees still remain a mystery to us. Perhaps we should have gone somewhere separate to pay in Falmouth…  Tonight we watched the sunset go straight down against the horizon and saw a green flash!

Tomorrow, very early, we are off for a 77 mile sail to St. Barts.  Then to St. Martin on Monday.

Thats all for now, cheers.

Guadeloupe

We left Roseau and sailed straight for Les Saintes.  The sail was really great and we arrived in good time, cleared customs, picked up a baguette, cheese, and wine (just in case we didn’t get enough in Martinique) and that was the end.  Even though we really enjoyed Les Saintes on the way down and would have liked to stay longer the forecast was calling for big winds and northerly swells for the next several days- so it was either hang out there or make our way to Guadeloupe.  We were hoping to explore some of Guadeloupe because we didn’t get the chance on the way down but as it turned out with the weather forecast and lack of protected anchorages we headed for Deshaises. It's a shame because we wanted to go up the east side but it wasn't in the cards this time.

 We had a fast and much better sail than we expected to Deshaises- except for the couple squalls that hit us at 35+ knots everything was fine!  We were sort of worried about the anchorage in Deshaises in the northerly swell but it was actually fine.  We were on the north side and perfectly comfortable.

 

In an effort to do some exploring anyway, we decided to take Chris Doyle’s suggestion (from the guide book) and hike up the Deshaies River to the small waterfall at the end of the trail.  Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood but I don’t think this “hike” is an awesome idea.  Basically it’s about 90 minutes of walking on very slippery rocks in the river.  It’s true there are some nice spots along the way but not that nice- relative to other islands. It was raining on and off when we were there which didn’t help.  After 90 minutes the dirt part of the trail to the waterfall starts and it’s decent, probably about 30 minutes until arriving at a small waterfall with a fairly deep pool good for lounging on a hot day.  Fortunately to get there you don’t actually have to walk up the river- there is a road (you can walk from town) that leads across the river where the dirt trail starts which is how we got back.  It’s a very pleasant walk back, it’s mostly downhill -so less pleasant if you take that route on the way up but still preferable to walking through a slippery rock river for 90 minutes- in my opinion!  Plus it was interesting to walk along the road and see the pastures and local neighborhoods.

We were in Deshaises for 2 days (3 nights) but aside from the hike didn’t do much except wonder the town, which is super cute, and have the best local coconut sorbet I have ever tasted -from a lady on the street with her ice-cream maker!

Next we were off to Antigua for our first visit!

Dominica, Hiking and Waterfalls

First, some information for cruisers on Roseau…
There is a gas station right at the dinghy dock and we filled our jugs up with gas and diesel- the price is reasonable compared to other islands.  You can also tie your boat up alongside the dock to fill up and we saw many boats doing this.  Also at the gas station they will take your propane tank and refill it in the same day.  We ran out of propane while I was cooking for 8 people 10 minutes before they were due to arrive (when else would we run out?) The propane is the cheapest we’ve ever encountered.  It was only 33 EC ($12.36US) to fill our big tank- a tank the size used for a big gas grill you might have at your house.  Lastly, there is a laundry where you can either do your own or drop it off for the same price.  Go left on the road and make the first right and it will be about a block up on the left side.  The washers and dryers are commercial and only 8EC to wash and 2EC to dry (every 10 minutes) but for some reason when they charged me to dry it was just 2EC total- and this was the case for a friend of ours as well.  That’s all I can think of on logistics…

Santosha w/a stern line tied underwater

Matsu (dinghy dock in background)

From St. Pierre we had a good and fast sail to Roseau, Dominica.  Our friends on Dream Walker who were already moored in Roseau heard us talking on the radio and chimed in to give us some advice on where to get a mooring out of the swell- they said to look for Marcus and moor at Dominica Marine Center.  As usual we were greeted by a couple “boat boys” on our way in and found Marcus who had two mooring balls left- typically anchoring is not either allowed or attainable there because of the water being super deep.  Anyway, Marcus set us up on a mooring which is very close to shore and some old pipes.  There was a swell coming in so we decided to try tying a stern line underwater to straighten us out which eventually worked after the first line broke.  When our friends on Matsu arrived there we no mooring balls but Marcus helped them anchor and then tied a stern line to shore so they were right next to us.  Marcus is a good guy that I would say comes off a little rough around the edges but he means well, most likely.  We gave him a beer for helping us and every day we were there he came by once or twice for beers.  He can set you up with tours, he uses his driver buddy Bobby Brown and after getting a price from Bobby Brown to take us all to the Boiling Lake with a guide for the hike we agreed to go on Sunday. 

Before we did any hiking we dinghed to Champagne Reef- about a 3 mile dinghy ride from our mooring place.  Champagne Reef are underwater bubbles coming out of holes in the rocks and in the sunlight it kind of does look like champagne bubbles.  The reef was really nice for snorkeling too, there is a wall and it would be pretty good for diving.

I’ll try to make this on the short side of stories…Tim & Linda (Matsu) had a friend, Dave, fly into Dominica sort of spur of the moment on Saturday morning.  Dave and another guy, Marc, were in a taxi from the airport when their car got in an accident and ended up in a ditch.  No one was hurt- the point is this guy Marc had come to the island to do some hiking and tour the island by himself; he was staying in a hotel. 

following behind the parade

We all ran into him on Saturday afternoon while we watching Dominica’s Pre-Carnival Parade- which was awesome especially since we didn’t know it was happening until that day.  We invited Marc to come on the hike with us the next day and after hanging out with us for the next 4 hours we must have passed his test because he finally said he was coming.

stairs!

start of boiling lake trail

We had arranged for Bobby Brown to pick us up at 8am on Sunday for the hike and then pick up Marc from his hotel.  Of course there was a mix up- because it just doesn’t seem like anyone can get things right on the first try, but we eventually found Bobby Brown and then Marc.  Our guide for the hike was Alvin who said he does the hike twice a week for the last 15 years.  The six of us had a back pack each with water and food and some other necessities and Alvin was holding a banana and a small bag of crackers-OK.  The hike is rated “difficult” and also the best hike in the Caribbean by more than a few sources.  It is widely written that it’s a 6-8 hour hike (round trip). The trail is now part of the National Park and about 20 years ago “stairs” were hammered into the dirt to make it more accessible. They aren’t like a set of stairs or what might come to mind when we picture stairs, just pieces of wood shoved into the dirt.  It does make it a lot easier otherwise it would be slippery going up and down, still climbing stairs has its own challenges!  Unfortunately about an hour in Linda twisted her knee (which is not good to start with) climbing the stairs and had to turn around- that’s another story but its Linda’s story so I’m not gonna tell it. The rest of us and Alvin carried on. 



mud facial

there's boiling water down there!

The hike has changes in scenery which make it even more interesting than the normal stunning views.  The section called “the valley of desolation” is where there are boiling (literally) pools of water.  There is also sulfur mud that Alvin gave us to put on our face- an all natural facial!  Once at the actual boiling lake it was hot and cold at the same time.  The steam made it difficult to see the lake but then a cold breeze would blow removing the steam for a brief enough time to see the boiling water below.  We chilled for a while and ate our lunches there.

On the hike back we stopped in a hot bath pool which was awesome; I wanted to stay there the rest of the day, have I mentioned that I love hot springs?  We finally washed the mud off our faces and I guess it worked because everyone’s skin looked vibrant.  The walk back was not easy, there is a very long uphill section and I was getting sort of tired but all was good.  Round trip we did the hike in 5 ½ hours. 

For anyone reading this that may do this hike….I would not use Alvin as a guide, other than leading the way (which is useful) he didn’t do anything.  We have heard very good reviews about “Sea Cat” and even saw him on the trail with a family.  Unless you arrange a very good price to go with Bobby Brown and Alvin- we paid $40US/per person go with Sea Cat, he charges the same price. They all tell you it’s $50US knowing full well they will accept $40 and so will you!

When we got back to the boat it was Raven’s game time!  The day before Marty and I made the rounds to hotels and bars in town to find a place we could watch the game- we found one place.  Tim and Dave came with us and Marc implied that we would see him there but he didn’t make it- he might have been wiped out from the hike.  It was super great to see the Raven’s win. Now we have to find a place to watch the super bowl!

Monday Marty, Tim, Dave, and I set out to Middleham Falls. Linda’s knee was still not right and we had lost Marc, maybe forever.  We went to take a bus to the falls but made a deal with a taxi driver instead. As we were driving we saw Marc on the street and we shouted out to him, I told him I had lots of pictures of him from our hike but the taxi drove away and Marc shrugged and put his hand up and said “bye.”  It was sad and very funny at the same time.  The walk to the falls is about two hours round trip and on an ordinary day I’m sure it would have seemed fine but our legs were all sore so it wasn’t that fine. But totally worth it, the falls were stunning- the second largest in Dominica. We were the only people there and we got in and swam as close as we could to the entry water. It was totally freezing and the water is very powerful but we were all smiling and laughing- I don’t remember ever feeling so exhilarated by water, or any number of things. 

Tuesday Marty, Tim, Linda, Dave, and I went to Trafalgar Falls.  It’s a stop popular with tourists and cruise ships because there is very little walking involved.  There was a cruise ship in town but fortunately we arrived when there were no crowds.  We got out of the bus at the trail entrance and saw Marc, hilarious! Even though he already went to the falls he came with us.  There are two big falls at Trafalgar; the 3rd and 4th largest on the island.  The water coming down from the falls makes pools around some very large rocks and makes warm and hot pools of water.  We lounged and moved from pool to pool relaxing; I don’t think we saw any other people. But at the time we got up to leave massive amounts of people from the cruise ship showed up and it definitely changed the vibe; it was lucky we got to spend so much time there without the crowds.  Before we left we finally exchanged emails with Marc who we might see again in Antigua- he works on a boat there.

Wednesday was a sad day- after spending a portion of nearly every day together for the past 7 weeks we said goodbye to Matsu.  They are going back to St. Lucia because Linda’s mother and aunt are coming there to visit.  We are heading to St. Martin where my Dad is coming to visit in a few weeks.  Our plan is to re-unite with them in St. Martin for the Heineken Regatta the first weekend in March, a plan shared by many other cruisers as well!

Thursday, still in Dominica, we arranged for Bobby Brown to take us to Victoria Falls- the highest falls on the island.  Part of the reason we wanted to go there is because the hike to the falls begins on property owned by a Rasta named Moses and his family.  They have a Rasta-rant and cook Ital (vegan) food every day for whoever happens to come.  The property is beautiful and they organically grow their own vegetables, fruits, and herbs. It’s a 1.5 hour drive from Roseau and after asking countless locals we determined that we could not get there and back on the bus in the same day.  We considered renting a car and finally decided to ask Bobby Brown to take us. We didn’t have a bunch of time to think about it because we were leaving the next day but in hindsight we should have rented a car.  It would have been more money but we could have stopped a bunch of places along the way, and not on the way- the drive was really pretty.  So, Moses’s son, Moses Jr. who is about 30 with a very calm disposition, guided us to the falls.  It’s about a 45 minute walk to the falls, crossing the river about 5 or 6 times and climbing over boulders but not a difficult walk at all.  It’s required that you take a guide. The guide might be Moses Jr. or his wife, or another Rasta living on the property.  The price they want to charge is $50EC (about $19US.)  We reached the falls and before we even got there could feel the spray in our face.  When we got in the water the spray was very strong and heavy, we barely had to get in and we were soaked.  We were there on a nice day but Moses Jr. said many days when it rains you can’t even get to the falls because the water is so high.

Once back at the Rasta-rant we had their Ital stew- a combination of plantains, potatoes, split peas, calaloo, coconut milk and spices.  They serve the food in calabash bowls with calabash spoons-very cool, we liked it a lot. 





Friday morning we left for Les Saintes- 37 miles.  We had a really nice and fast sail, well Marty did- I was sleeping for a lot of it :)
That’s all for now. Next time, Guadeloupe!  

Martinique Anchorages and Towns

Let’s see, I can barely believe my last writing was just after we arrived in Martinique.  We arrived in Sainte Anne on the 28^th of Dec. and took a long time to leave and write a blog, yikes!  We have never been in one anchorage longer.  The wind had been totally howling and using Chris Parker’s advice (our subscribed weather guru) “you better find something to do where you are because unless you like gale force winds you’re going to be there for a while.”  We have found lots to do and fortunately Sainte Anne is really nice calm anchorage, and you know what an anchorage snob and wimp I am!  We’re still hanging out with Tim & Linda on “Matsu” and a few other great cruisers who we have found to be worthy companions during our extended stay.

For two days we rented a car and explored the island, which is big- the biggest in the Eastern Caribbean actually.  I wish I could tell you exactly where we went but I can’t.  First of all, it seems forever ago and secondly it was hard for me to keep track of the names and places because everything is in French and so Tim and Linda took over the guiding and communicating.  I can tell you that we (really Tim) rented the car out of Sainte Anne for 42 Euro a day which seemed like a decent price and by far the most reasonable of any other place Tim inquired. We stopped at a handful of beaches and did some shopping (mainly for wine for another wine tasting) at the bigger markets on the island. The most noteworthy thing we did was hike Circuit de Rabuchon which is in the interior of the island near the middle.  I really liked the hike. The scenery was different than we had become used to in Grenada and St. Lucia.  The rest of the time (without the car) we spent in Sainte Anne walking/hiking and going to really nice beaches which I liked a bunch.

Then Tim & Linda hosted a second wine tasting. This time we decided to test ourselves by getting two different bottles of wine from the same region (we chose 4 regions, so 8 bottles of wine.) We covered the labels for one bottle from each region and after tasting the first four wines we attempted to match the regions.  When this idea was first presented I had about no confidence in myself and my wine tasting but I managed to get all the regions correct- amazing! If you’re shopping for wine in the French islands this is some stuff we learned (about bottles of wine under 6 Euros!)  I would say that all four of us prefer Beaujolais ( in our price range.)  Next, if you are buying Bordeaux, buy the earliest year you can find in your price range, it will better.  And we like some Cote du Rhone’s which I apparently have a magic ability to select off the shelf – but it’s chancy because some Cote du Rhone’s aren’t that good.   Wine tastings are a great time, I recommend them and I don't even eat cheese!





view of the anchorage

Marty plays Backgammon-Grande Anse d'Arlet

Diamond Rock (on the left)

Finally we left Sainte Anne and went to Grande Anse d’Arlet which I liked a lot.  The small town is really cute with some bars, shops, and a kind of shabby chic beach. And the anchorage is nice with clear water and some snorkeling. There are mooring balls everywhere and we spent about 90 minutes trying to find a place to anchor; our anchor wouldn’t hold in the soft mud- we tried with our Delta and Fortress about 7 times combined and finally decided to go for the mooring ball.  We dislike mooring balls mostly because they cost money but also because when the wind dies at night they hit the side of our boat and make a sound that guarantees I will not sleep.  Anyway we got on a ball on the north side of the anchorage b/c all the ones on the south side were taken.  At first it seemed fine but then it started rolling pretty substantially- it was much better on the south end. And, at least for now, the mooring balls are free.  

 

We stuck it out 2 or 3 nights and then went to Les Trois-Ilets where it couldn’t have been calmer if we were on a lake.  Our Delta didn’t work in the mud there either but the Fortress did.  Like I said, the anchorage is calm but the water is murky because of the mangroves so it wasn’t the greatest for swimming.  We dinghyed around to Anse a L’ane and hung out on the beach most of a day, then explored the town a little.  When we went to leave the beach we found that our combination dinghy lock was frozen and despite all efforts we could not get it free.  Fortunately a couple from that anchorage pulled up (we were miles away) and Linda asked them in French if they had any WD40 on their boat and the guy went back to his boat to get some and after lots of banging by Marty and Tim the lock opened, yay! I guess we should carry some WD40 with us.  We tried to explore what the area had to offer and we set off to go to the Pottery Factory and Coffee and Coco Plantation.  We walked up the road and made it to the Pottery Factory where there are a bunch of stores selling pottery (imagine that) and other things.  It’s sort touristy and cute if you like that sort of thing.  We kept walking to get to the Plantation but never found it.  Instead we reached the Leader Price (the local grocery market) and went in to see what they had.  By the way, as a cruiser, it is absurdly exciting to discover a grocery store that you have never been in and then walk around it looking for different foods. And, it’s not just me- Linda, Tim, and Marty are right there, possibly even leading the charge. Maybe one reason we all get along so well.  Anyway, fortunately we were able to find a bus back because by this time we had walked something like 8k.  And on the bus back we saw that we had walked right by the coffee & coco planation and it looked really nice.  Somehow we must have been having some really good conversation to miss the acres of coffee growing right in front of us.  Who knows how long we would have been walking if we didn’t come upon the grocery store!

Making our way north, we went to Fort de France.  And I really liked it there too.  There is a small beach off the town- great for yoga or any other beachy thing.  The town has lots of stores and restaurants and the Leader Price grocery market is easy to walk to- you can’t ask for much else out of an anchorage!  We only stayed one night and only rolled a little when the ferry went by (which is a lot) but it doesn’t operate at night.

Sunset on St. Pierre beach

Dupaz Distillerie

Our last stop in Martinique was St. Pierre.  We had another really fun day.  We arrived in the morning and went to shore and started off to Dupaz Distillerie which is a rum distillery and totally worth going to, it’s beautiful.  On the way back we made a short walk to a waterfall that a local guy told us about, saw the old theater ruins on the way, and ended the day on the beach with some wine and the sunset.  The only down side of our whole time there is that it was sooo incredibly rolly, like nearly sickening.  My attention was diverted from it because we were on shore all day and hung out most of the evening with Tim and Linda then we got up early (because it was hard to sleep) and left as soon as we were ready to Dominica.

So we really liked Martinique and I'm sure our time there was vastly enhanced because we were with friends and we explored lots of the island.

 

"Matsu" (Tim & Linda's boat) in Dominica

We had a good and fairly fast trip to Roseau, Dominica where we ended up staying 7 days and seeing some great things.  I’ll catch up that stuff next time!