Marc saves the day (twice) in Martinique

Thursday, Feb. 27th didn’t start out all that badly, except that we were waiting (and have been for three days while the island celebrates Carnival) for a technician to remove our windlass motor and attempt to rebuild it. Marc, the technician, is a great guy! Very competent and very good at speaking English, more than can be said for most we’ve met so far in Martinique. Not that my French is all that good but I’m trying to learn and use it and I think when you serve an international crowd of sailors, you should have at least the will to communicate in whatever ways are necessary. But, I digress...

After Marc left with our motor, I had the brilliant idea to go to the nearby supermarket, (15 minutes by car, I was told), which was supposed to be much bigger and well stocked compared to the local grocery store we have been frequenting. Since we have a guest coming, we needed to stock up and we haven’t been able to find some of the basics like chicken breasts, pork chops, sliced ham, etc. We find lots of good cheese and bread but other than that, all we find is giant bags of ribs, chicken wings, and other animal body parts that are less identifiable. Fresh fruits and vegetables are available on market days but you need to use them immediately or they go bad. I digress again...

We hired a cab to get to the supermarket, which took 20 minutes, with all the traffic, and cost 20 euro (a little more than $20). The driver told us to hang out at the taxi stand or just call him back when we were done so we picked through what we could find in, yes a much bigger store, but just with more of the same unidentifiable parts. When we were finished shopping, we checked the taxi stand to find only one taxi that was on call waiting for someone. I called the taxi that brought us to the market and whomever answered said they did not speak English and hung up. I had a few other taxi numbers to call and got the same result so I went to the store ‘information’ center. No one spoke English there either, but they knew someone in the office that did. I schlepped over to the office and the English speaking lady there wanted 10 euro just to call a cab. Ok, I’m desperate so I give her 10 euro only for her to tell me after making a two calls, that there were no taxis available. Apparently, everyone is tired from Carnival and no one is working today!

I’m getting to my wits end, imagining Andrew and I sleeping in the grocery store parking lot with our bags of groceries, when it occurred to me to call our English speaking technician, Marc. Marc saved the day! He called a taxi driver friend who showed up in 10 minutes. We had a brief tussle with a French lady who tried to jump in the car before us but when the driver asked specifically for me, she retreated. Somehow, we made it back to the boat in about 10 minutes and I couldn't have been happier to be on board having bread and cheese for dinner again, along with a stiff drink!!

The next day, Marc calls and says that he and his technician have fixed the windlass. They took it apart completely, found the brushes were destroyed, replaced them with brushes they cut down from another motor and put the whole thing back together again. Marc installed it in about an hour and a half and it works better than ever!

What a life saver!! Thank goodness we met Marc.

Carnival in Martinique!!

The videos and pictures say all that needs to be said:

Waiting it out at the party!

On 2/19 we left Dominica for Martinique, expecting 15 - 20 knots of wind and moderate seas. We found an average 25 knots of wind, gusts over 30 and 6 to 8 foot seas, but nothing Billy Ruff’n couldn’t handle. The ~five other boats in the 25 mile square space between the two islands, all found each other at once! We had to navigate a tug towing a luxury yacht, a ferry (that was not on our radar) going 25 knots and a handful of sailboats, in the space of a few nautical miles. We made the trip in good time, going an average 8.5 knots under a double reefed main and jib. Upon arrival in St. Pierre, we saw a few of our Salty Dawg friends in port but were too tired to launch the dinghy or go in town. We had dinner on board and got to bed early.

The next day, we heard on the radio that our friends were weighing anchor and headed to Fort de France for Carnival, so we decided we would take their spot in the harbor, closer to town. However, our windlass (the motor that pulls the anchor up) had something else in store. It crapped out and changed our plans entirely. We took the dinghy in town to check in to the pretty municipal building and I got to use my minimal French again to navigate the town. After a nice lunch at a seaside cafe, where the water seemed bluer than blue, we set out to find the one and only mechanic in town. Apparently, he was no longer around but we got to see some nice views of the harbor and briefly visit the museum that displays the story of how the town was completely destroyed in 1902 by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pelee.

After a few phone calls to boat services folks speaking mostly French, we decided we needed to head toward Marin, one of the Caribbean’s largest yacht centers on the southern end of Martinique, where we were most likely to find a good technician. Rather than making the ~ 30 mile trip in one shot, and arrive on the Friday before Carnival when everything closes down for the weekend, we thought we would break the trip up and head for Fort de France, where we could look into getting assistance at the well regarded Sea Services chandlery. A quick motor sail and we were able to pick up a mooring at Z’Abricots Marina, just east of town.

Fort de France is the capital of Martinique and has a large bay for visiting cruise ships to share with hundreds of anchored boats. The harbor is rimmed by Fort St. Louis, which is apparently an active navy base, the dinghy dock and a beach with a children’s playground and park. Quite a backdrop for the upcoming Carnival, which consists of four days of colorful parades and general hoopla. We quickly got re-accustomed to the delicious food that you find in French islands, including the fabulous pizza and baguettes, and found a very helpful lady in the chandlery, who arranged for a mechanic to visit our boat the next day.

Marc, the mechanic, showed up fashionably late the next day but speaking very good English. What a break from the challenges we were having trying to communicate over the phone! He and Andrew spent the next hour or so tearing apart the boat, opening up drawers and cabinets, and getting every tool on board out in order to troubleshoot where the breakdown was for the windlass. We finally came to the conclusion that it was the motor and would require a rebuild (if possible) or replacement, but the technician we need wouldn’t be available until after Carnival.

So, here we are in Fort de France at Carnival time. No one is working so we have to wait it out at the party!!

Not according to Doyle in Roseau

Just when things seem to be going according to plan, the cruising life will throw some curve balls! On Feb. 16th we left Portsmouth for Roseau, the capital of Dominica and main town on the southwestern end of the island. It was an 18 mile motor sail that took a little longer than it should due to low visibility rainstorms. According to the Doyle Sailors Guide, the yacht anchorage covers a mile and a half and has several dingy docks along the way. We picked up a mooring south of town, with Marcus, the boat services fellow in charge of security, and intended to go ashore for lunch and provisions. The Anchorage Hotel, with it’s own dingy dock, where the book said we could grab a bite to eat, get laundry done and have a short walk to the grocery store, unfortunately was still ravaged with damage from hurricane Maria and no longer existed, so we headed in the other direction towards town. Sea Cat, another boat services fellow, told us the closest dinghy dock was a 20 minute walk to town or we could go past the huge cruise ship and the fishery to find the dock in the center of town. Caught again in a rain squall, we tried to find the town dock but not sure it existed either.

Returning to the dock near our boat, we started to hoof it into town. It was 2:30 and we hadn’t had anything to eat since our light breakfast, so we were hungry. After 10 minutes of walking, a van stopped next to us and the driver flashed his “professional guide” credentials. He proceeded to tell us that everything in town was closed but he could take us into the mountains for a great lunch and island tour. Sounded like a scam but had hoped to see some of the island and we were exceedingly hungry so we agreed to lunch, a visit to Trafalgar Falls, a ride to the grocery store and back to the dock. The lunch was good and provided a spectacular view of what I thought was the waterfall, but turned out to be a power plant! Afterward, a short hike through the rain forest (in the rain again), we found the falls were quite pretty and worth the visit. Our driver, who identified himself as “just in time Justin”, hustled us back into the van and rushed back to town to drop us off at the grocery store for provisions and back to the dock.

When we got back to the boat, we told Sea Cat, who was checking in on us, what happened. He laughed and said that’s just in time for you... always looking to make a quick buck! We cancelled plans with Justin for the next day and arranged for Jones, a driver that works with Sea Cat, to take us to the gorge where Johnny Depp filmed Pirates of the Caribbean, and the sulphur springs, where we lounged in the hot baths built into the rocks and trees of the rain forest.

Our friend, Marcus, had taken our laundry and we were expecting it back that day. Since we weren’t finding much else to do in Roseau, we decided to leave the next day for Martinique but were concerned when Marcus hadn’t returned by nightfall. At 7pm or so we heard a motor approaching and the telltale whistle of Marcus’ arrival. He told us that his brother had died that day and he just couldn’t function but he had promised to return our laundry, so he got himself up and did so! God bless him!!

The land of the daily deluge

We left Les Saintes for Dominica on Feb. 9. It was raining, which I suppose was an omen for where we were headed. It was a 20 mile trip. We were going about 8-9 knots, closed hauled in 5-6 foot seas, so not champagne sailing, but nothing Billy Ruff’n can’t handle. It was a little wet for me having to set the second reef but I got Andrew back when he had to go forward to take down the French courtesy flag.

We made the trip in 3 1/2 hours and were greeted in Portsmouth, Dominica by one of the professional boat services men. In Portsmouth, the men have organized a group called Portsmouth Association for Yachting Services (PAYS), in order to make it a safe and enjoyable destination for ’yachties’, like ourselves. We had contacted Jeffrey from Sea Bird to help us and he was on site when we had dropped sails and were close enough to pick up a mooring. Shortly after, another PAYS boat came by to sell us tickets to the beach barbecue that evening and a third man came by to sell us star fruit, passion fruit, bananas and coconuts from his kayak.

The PAYS barbecue that evening was a fun jump up. Many of the Salty Dawg crew we have come to know were there. The grilled fish and chicken was good and the whole place was dancing after dinner. Andrew tried to match moves with one of the locals and lost, landing on his butt in the sand!

Since we had arrived on a Sunday and customs was closed, we checked in the next day, with the assistance of our PAYS guy, Antony. He took us over to the customs dock, showed us around town a bit and brought us back to the boat to arrange for the next few days activities. The next day, Antony rowed us up the Indian River and pointed out the local flora and fauna as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean sets that were still in place as part of the tour. We found a coconut on the way, which Antony cut up for us to enjoy the milk and fruit. I had a chance to row back too!

Afterward, Antony came on board to check out Andrew’s fishing equipment and spent the next half hour re-arranging it into lures and lines for their fishing trip the following day.

We’ve found it pretty much rains every day in Dominica and often very hard, accompanied by roaring winds that slice through the mountains. One evening, I had just showered and changed to ride in town for dinner and of course, it poured on our way in. The great thing though, is the winds dry things off quickly and the mild temperatures (mid 80’s), keep things from getting too cold so you just carry on with whatever you were doing.

On Feb. 12th, Antony took Andrew for a fishing trip around the north end of the island. They caught 3 Barracuda and 1 small snapper, while I strolled through town and updated the blog. That night, we had the PAYS guys cook up our fish, after we assured them that it was caught locally and would not be poisonous. (Apparently, barracuda is poisonous in some parts, but not in Dominica and we survived eating it just to prove it!)

The next day, we took an island tour to Cold Soufriere, a bubbling stream, in the middle of the rain forest, that smells like sulfur and is cold; past a beautiful cemetery with a fantastic view for eternity and then on to the Point Baptiste Chocolate Factory, a small privately owned chocolate manufacturing facility, owned by the grandson of the first woman ever elected to a British West Indies legislative council, and run by him and his daughter. They showed us how the cocoa beans are dried and roasted and then stirred and mixed with various delicious flavorings. We bought 6 bars: spice, coffee, lemongrass, mint, ginger, and hot pepper.

From the chocolate factory, a Carib Indian fellow named Donny George, took us on what was billed to be an easy walk to the Red Rocks, on which the chocolatier’s home was perched. Barefooted, Donny scampered like a billy goat through the forest, over rocks and straight up a cliff, while we struggled to keep up, but the views were worth it.

In the meantime, our tour driver, Andrew (or Didi), had collected a sampling of grasses and leaves that he professed had all kinds of medicinal powers when smoked or dried and made into tea. He also showed us how to weave the banana tree leaves into decorations for the local bar.

The next few days it rained and blew hard so we didn’t do much but hang out on the boat and wait for a weather window to head for Roseau, our next stop in Dominica.

7 days in Les Saintes

Since it didn’t work out for us to rent a car in Basse Terre, we decided on Feb 1st to head for Les Saintes, a idyllic group of islands just south of the main island of Guadeloupe. The only town, Bourg des Saintes, is on the largest island, Terre d’en Haut. After a two hour motor sail, with wind on the nose, we were looking forward to picking up a mooring, but all 80 moorings set out for cruisers in the main bay, were taken. We happened upon the only remaining mooring in another bay, off Pain A Sucre. It was a pretty spot where boats stage for the morning hustle to pick moorings off the main town, as other cruisers leave them.

The next morning we were able to pick up a mooring off Terre d’en Haut and get our dinghy deployed to go explore the town. The town is full of small shops selling original artworks, clothing and island made rum or coffee, as well as some of the best restaurants we have come across yet. The first restaurant we tried was Au Bon Vivre, a lovely place, run by a chef from Toulouse, with seating outside on the street or inside in the plant covered courtyard. There we had the best cod fritters ever, a cold Karett beer, an incredible tuna steak prepared with leaks and a ceviche in coconut broth.

Les Saintes Multi-Services is where you check in for customs in Les Saintes. You can also use their computers and wifi while watching a big screen TV and getting your laundry done. They are normally not open on Sundays, but on Feb. 3rd, they got so many requests to watch the Super Bowl, that they opened just for the rabid American football fans to grab a beer and enjoy the game. It was fun to meet new cruiser friends there, in addition to running into some of the folks we’ve been seeing all along the island chain.

It was at the game that we got tipped off to the best street side grilled chicken on the island and a barbecue planned on the smallest of the islands, Ilet a Capri. The next day, a group of Salty Dawgs took our dinghies along with drinks, an item for the grill, and an item to share, to the beach where we ate, swam and hiked to the fort at the top of the island for some spectacular views.

We, meaning mostly Andrew, got some boat projects done in Les Saintes, including getting the water maker running, whipping some lines that had frayed and remounting the fishing rod holder so that it didn’t interfere with the outboard motor mount, while I explored on my SUP. We rewarded ourselves with a dinner out at 1 Ti Bo Doudou, a fabulous place with tables set right on the beach and claims to “the top local chef, especially when it comes to seafood”. Andrew had ‘to die for’ mahi in passion fruit sauce and I had lion fish in a fabulous onion cream sauce. Yum! The next night we bought some fresh mahi right off the boat and Andrew tried to emulate his dish. Not quite the same, but good.

One of our last days in Les Saintes, we rented a green ‘electric’ car to motor around the island, the highlights of which were: 1) the Baie de Pompierre, a beautiful tree lined beach off a secluded bay, 2) the Bay de Marigot, a small fishing village w/ a quiet anchorage and 3) Fort Napoleon, with a great view of Billy Ruff’n in the bay and the entire island of Terre D’en Haut.

Key tip for cruisers: The best ice in the Caribbean can be found in Bourg des Saintes at the bakery near Carrefour. It’s made in a shape, which I can only described as an upside down bucket of sand, that resists freezing to itself and is easily broken apart for drinks!

Cheers to that!!