April 2010 St Lucia and Martinique

The pictures show in reverse order the north end of St Lucia, Diamond rock at the southern end of Martinique, Plane Song on the move and the beach at Anse Lane Martinique. The top picture is of an almond tree on the beach at L'Ane. I spent time drawing it over a beer or two! I haven't got the hang of placing text and pictures on the blog so this time I'm trying pictures first!

It was soon apparent that Mary was not going to have a good holiday sharing PS with Gail who was then paid off at some cost. Days later when we were at Harmony Bay, I discovered the parafin supply tank had been topped up with about 30 litres of water by Gail when she was asked to fill the water tanks while Mary and I attended to our arrival at Rodney Bay. Unfortunately, I was unaware of this and topped up the pressure tank which then clogged up the cooker when it was next used. As a result we had to cut short our stay and head back to Rodney Bay marina where I spent about 2 days dismantling the cooker and cleaning everything. The supply tank still has small amounts of water in it despite efforts to drain off the water, so I will have to remove most of the quarter berth to get access to the tank inspection plate-another two days work which will wait until lift out in Trinidad. Some people do not pay attention to instructions and repeated warnings about taking care filling water tanks.

The parafin incident limited what Mary and I could do but it was lovely to have her company in paradise for 3 weeks. She made it back to the UK just in time before the disruption caused by the volcanic dust from Iceland.

After many delays I finally had the lazy jacks fitted and some minor canvas work completed. I decided finding reliable crew was too much hassle. Distances between islands are in anycase quite small with only one, between Grenada and Trinidad, being more than a day sail. My first solo from Rodney Bay to Anse de Mitan Martinique was in perfect conditions. Checking into the island has to be the most simple and pleasant of all the places I have called at so far-a simple form on the computer in any of several locations around the island.

Anse de Mitan was not quite as I expected it to be despite having talked to a number of yachtsmen who had visited the anchorage. I took a dingy trip a mile round the corner to Anse L'Ane and found a really beautiful spot with very few other visiting yachts. There is a well stocked little super market where I can indulge my love of camembert and baguette. Wine is very keenly priced too. Sailmail HF connections are good in the evening and there is free wifi from a cafe from where I can see PS at anchor. Paradise is slightly spoilt by day mosquitoes and fast ferrys but its hard to imagine a better anchorage.

The view of Diamond rock is included because of its facinating history. St Lucia and Martinique have changed hands been the English and French many times in the past. At one time the Royal Navy managed to put a detachment of about 120 marines with canons on the rock who caused havoc to French ships. Some 12 thousand French troops never managed to dislodge them from what became HMS Diamond Rock. A cock up with resupply from St Lucia ended the saga.

From here I will head south to Anse de Miran which has many anchorages within it and the only large marina on the island. All the big hyper markets are there so it will be a joy to provsion!

St Lucia [Part 2]

Exploring St Lucia[Part 2]

Mary and I sailed south from Rodney Bay to Harmony Bay a couple of miles from Soufriere the former capital of St Lucia. Here Mary was able to try out her own new snorkeling gear. There isn't much interesting coral but there is enough fish life to make it worth the effort.

A few years ago Hotel Chocolate bought the Rabot Estate with the aim of rebuilding cocoa farming on the island which went into decline as banana growing increased. They want to produce their own estate grown chocolate and are investing in new trees and processing facilities at the same time selling trees at cost to the local farmers. The trees produce beans suited to make the finest dark chocolate. To verify the the quality of the trees they raise, Reading University analyses samples using DNA technology. Mary and I had the incredible luck to be able to tack on to the last but one guided tour of the estate booked a long time ago.

At one stage of the tour we were shown how grafting is done to maintain the quality of the trees. Mary produced one which will be planted with her name on it!

We walked the 2 miles down hill to the anchorage stopping at the famous Ladera Hotel for a fruit cocktail which has the most spectacular view of the Pitons.

St Lucia

We watched the cruise ship depart Castries. There were two others in this small harbour and they departed one after another. I wondered how the town managed to cope with so many visitors. The palm frond hat and bird were made to order on the beach by a very skillful man.

The beflagged boat is operated by a fruit seller who plies his wares around the marina and Rodney Bay

Bougainvillea-Maniku Gardens

Exploring St Lucia [Part 1]



From the Pitons we sailed a few miles north to Marigot Harbour in company with Sam aboard Semezana ,a beautiful Shannon 51 ft ketch. We picked up a mooring buoy as anchoring is difficult in this very attractive little harbour. It takes all of 10 minutes to walk round the facilities which included a choice bakery with excellent baguettes.



For a change we ate out in the evening and were entertained by a troup of local dancers in colourful if brief costume and fire eaters leaving a whiff of kerosene neither of whom were good for the digestion. The food was excellent.



The next day we had a testing sail to windward in short choppy seas north to Rodney Bay. Testing because progress could only be made with enough canvas to punch through the seas and the variable wind added to the difficulties. The cutter rig on Plane Song ensures she copes well.

The Rodney Bay Marina has all the faciities you could wish for and is efficiently run. Charges seem reasonable but as in most of the islands water is in short supply and has to be puchased. Mary met her friend Ian Cowan whom she last saw 40 years ago. He runs Island Water World chandlery and is well known for his yachting expertise and of course a fund of local knowledge. He and his wife Rosemary have given us some generous hospitality treating us to a wonderful supper at their beautiful home and dinner out under a Flambouyant tree.



Early in our stay here Mary and I ate at a local restaurant and got a dose of food poisoning. Both of us were decidedly under the weather for 3 days so our plans to see more of the island had to wait. When we were well enough we hired a scooter and crossed the island to see something of the rain forest and central hills before descending to the east coast to find the Mamiku gardens and local canoe building. The gardens were a real treat both for the trees, plants and birds which included an Oriole and humming birds. The dug out canoe building was a damp squib but some friendly locals showed us the small crabs that live in the mangrove trees, something I had seen in the mangrove swamp in Trinidad.



The new cacao growing venture at the Rabot Estate by Hotelchocolat is high on our list of must see and hopefully we will fit that in next week after Mary's birthday.