St. Lucia to Martinique

In the last posting I was crowing about the smooth crossing.  Pay backs are hell!  The crossing from St. Lucia to Martinique was anything but smooth.  On the previous crossing the waves were predicted at .8 meters.  These were supposed to be 1.1 meters and a 1 meter long period swell.  That might have been the case if not for the line of squalls between St. Lucia and Martinique we had to pass through.  The good news was that it was only a 23 nm crossing.

Normally, I like to leave early and miss some of the waves associated with the trade winds filling in during the early afternoon.  In this case we might have done better with a later departure from St. Lucia – hindsight.  However, we arrived early enough that we were able to dinghy into Marin and complete the check in procedures.  That allowed us to go to Accras Alley that evening.

Accras Alley

During the day Accras Alley is just another narrow street in Ste. Anne.  In the evening, the proprietors (three ladies) place table in the street and start serving accras and drinks.

Menu

Their accras are reasonably priced.  The “Morue” accras are made from salt fish, while the “Crevettes” are made from shrimp – we think.  We opted for 12 of the Crevettes at 6€.

Pollie waiting for her accras.  I only take her to the finest establishments.

We arrived a little early for French dining habits, but soon all of the tables were full and they were doing a brisk takeout service.

Ah, fine dining, accras and a Lorraine on a plastic table by street light.

Accras are “fritters” cod (salt fish), shrimp or lobster.  Each chef has their own special spices for the dough.  They are deep fried and served hot.  This is Caribbean health food at its finest.

You can only watch so many sunsets in Ste. Anne before it is time to move on.

The 14 nm motor from Ste. Anne to Grande Anse d’Arlet is very pleasant because for the most part you are in the lee of the island.  Petite Anse d’Arlet and Grand Anse d’Arlet are both little beach towns with very low level development.  We prefer Grand Anse because it has not received as much “remuddling” and the air quality is better.  Petite seems to have something burning 24/7.  Both anchorages have installed mooring balls that to date there is no charge for usage.  I saluted the HMS Diamond Rock as we passed.

Lobster fisherman in Grand Anse d’Arlet

French baguettes have a life expectancy of about a day, and then they turn hard as a rock.  These lobster fishermen were recycling baguettes as bait. 

On a previous visit to Gran Anse d’Arlet we noticed the “in place” on Saturday afternoon was Chez Evelyn, a little beach restaurant on the south end of the beach.  Previously we were turned away, but this time we made reservations.  Lunch of salad, accras, lobster, a mysterious but delicious baked squash dish, and desert took 3 ½ hours.  What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  We felt very French – oui!

When we returned from lunch, we had a new neighbor.  A three-masted schooner had anchored in the bay.

Stad Amsterdam

We now recognize most of the tall ships plying the waters of the Caribbean, but not this one.  I had to jump in the dinghy for a closer look.

Our next stop in Martinique will be 7 nm north at Fort de France before we cross to Dominique.

Sailing 101

We have noticed that many of the islands have youth sailing programs.  This one at Anse d’Arlet, Martinique was very active.  Each day sailors with different skill levels ventured out.

This must have been the entry level class.  Note the chase boat to the left; the crew was busy.

When you do not weigh enough to right the boat, you have to wait for your crew to swim around to help.

Then, maybe two of you can get it upright.

In the mean time, the rest of the class is not doing much better.

They are getting closer; the sail is almost out of the water.

Once you get your boat upright, you should try to get back in before it takes off.

Team work pays off; the boat is upright and the chase boat was not needed.

However, this captain needed a little help from the chase boat.

In the mean time, this sailor is yelling for help getting his rudder reinstalled.

So much for team work; the captain took off dragging his crew member.

Still need my rudder over here.

Still swimming after his boat.

The chase crew is on the way.  Evidently, floaters have priority.

Rudder is reattached.  So it goes, another fun day on and in the water.

B-24

Should you want to start a hot debate among cruisers, mention mooring balls.  Many of the purists loath the things while others like us are rather ambivalent about them.  The complaints about mooring balls are not unfounded and go beyond just not wanting to pay for a parking spot.

Often when mooring balls are introduced, anchoring is then prohibited.  Sometimes there are restrictions on the size of boats due to the distance between the balls or the weight bearing capacity that precludes us from using a ball (Annapolis, MD).  In other places (Georgetown, SC) the harbor is littered with derelict boats attached to the free moorings.

Example of a good mooring system

Many of the purists will tell you that they trust their anchor more than a mooring ball.  I must admit that I am more inclined to dive to check a mooring system than I am to dive on our anchor.  We have found poorly maintained mooring gear that has prompted us to move to another ball.  And, we have friends that reported moorings parting, usually at 3:00 AM in a good blow.

Conversely, the scars left by anchors and anchor chains on the bottom cannot be ignored.  The sea grass, coral, and sponge formations supports the small fish that feed the larger fish that many of the islanders catch to support their families.  Grand Anse d’Arlet and Petite Anse d’Arlet, Martinique is in the process of installing moorings.

"Photograph Pollie"

Snorkeling off the back of our boat we could already see the difference the moorings were making in the recovery of the sea bed.  

Enjoying the sea life (plus cheap wine and cheese in Martinique) is why we come to the Caribbean.

French couple attaching B-24 to our mooring

Hopefully, these moorings will be a success story.  The introduction of the moorings will enhance the sea life.  The moorings will be well maintained, and the charge for their use will be kept reasonable.