The sail south to the marina at Marin developed into a hard beat to windward across the southern end of Martinique, made more testing by wind over tide. Chris Doyle's guide is very helpful with detailed descriptions of the entrance channel and the numerous anchorages in the Cul de sac du Marin. There are several hazards for the unwary with one or two abandoned yachts to make the point.
I wasn't quite prepared for the sheer scale of the marina and the number of yachts at anchor nearby. Yachts were anchored very close to each other and in places obscuring the channel buoys. I guess the it was a question of shortening the dingy ride to the minimum. I had not booked into the marina and had to wait a few hours for a berth to be available which are all stern or bow to with a buoys to pick up at the critical moment. Being on my own, I asked for help and got a tender with bow fenders to push me about and a couple of guys on the pontoon so it all worked well.
The place was a messy builders yard with very minimal shower and toilet facilities which were so far away that careful planning was needed to avoid being caught short. Never have I seen so many catamarans in one place all for charter. Mono hulls were definitely in the minority. The best thing I can say about my stay was I could stock up on some nice wine and eat fresh baguettes every day.
The sail back to St Lucia was a joy but apart from flying fish I saw no marine life. My problems began at Rodney Bay because I arrived on May Day and apart from a few security staff there was no one on hand to help at the marina. As a frequent visitor I know my way around the place so all was well in the end. The main reason to come back was to book flights back to the UK after PS is hauled out in Trinidad. No cheap flights from there.
My plan is to leave 7 May, overnight in Harmony Bay and then make a very early start for Bequia which could be a 60 mile sail.
