Martinique: Marin (yacht chartering capital of the island)

Well the humans had a problem.

When they tried to drop the two foresails, they set up for the crossing, they would not come down.  Up the mast they went, and discovered that the top of the furler had come off the track……not good.  One more thing damaged on the crossing.

While they were at the top, they detached the sails from the damaged furler so they could be dropped.  Then the silly humans unfurled the two sails expecting them to drop onto the deck.  Instead a breeze caught them and they promptly dropped uncontrolled into the sea.

They had to pull them out and spread them on the deck to dry before they could be packed away.  I killed myself laughing at them later when they were trying to flack and fold up all that sail on the front deck.  I do not recommend you try and do it with one sail, let alone two.  Sorry I did not take any pictures for you.

So now the humans have a repair list an arm long and can only use the stay sail for a foresail.  Time to find some where with a riggers and chandlery.  In Martinique there are three places you can go.  The capital, Fort de France, the old capital, St. Pierre, or the yacht chartering capital of the island, Marin.  They read the guide and decided to try Maron first.

So we beat against the wind to go south to Marin.

Marin is Martinique’s “hurricane hole”.  It is an expansive bay with a series of zig zag reefs to get into.  A couple we met in Grande Anse d’Arlet moored their boat there for a year while they made money working as skipper and cook.

It was a hard beat back to Marin, but the entrance was very well buoyed and lit up at night.

I sent the humans straight to the back of the bay and the main marina’s fuel dock.  Here they finally filled up with water (they were starting to smell) and topped up on fuel.  Water was very cheap at 6 euros for 500L.  At that price maybe I can get them to do the laundry???

From there we picked out an open spot in the huge harbour.

While we were on the fuel pontoon I sent one of the humans to the riggers at Caraibes Greement.  Philippe Leconte came to see our problem despite insisting, the whole walk to the boat, that he was book up for the next 3 weeks.  We asked if anyone else could help us. “No!” he insisted.  But he took the time to look at our problem and carefully explain to the humans exactly how to fix it.  What a lovely human.

The next day they followed his advice to the letter and their rigging problem was solved.  On to the next problem.  But, before they do that, lets do a little reconisons of the harbour.

There are three huge Marinas in the harbour.  Two for mooring your boat up and one for hauling it out.   They really pack the boats in like sardines.  All of them have large dingy docks for your tender that you are welcome to use.

All the Marinas have chandleries, associated services and restaurants.  I sent the humans out to do a little price checking.  It was fair, but not cheap.

The town of Marin is tiny compared to the Marina complexes.  But it does have a small market and an incredible ninetieth century church.

There is a cemetery attached to the back of the church that has a great view out to the entrance of the harbour.  Spirit of Argo is anchored out there near the back.

The town centre has a few run down buildings and homes.

But there are some nice looking restaurants.

There is a small town beach that the humans kayak me to.

Anchoring is free in the harbour and there must be 100s and 100s of yachts here.

Although there is lots of room, there are still calamities.

This guy managed to get his rudder caught on our neighbours anchor chain and started dragging them around.  They eventually got themselves sorted with no major damage.

It makes you worry about leaving the boat unattended, but needs must.  I sent the humans off to find Tony Crater, the local welder, to see if he can fix the broken davits.

Have you ever seen those movies set in the bayou of the deep south?  Well this guys workshop is up a river set back in the mangroves.  It is a shack with tones of metal off cuts thrown up onto the roof for storage.  But he welds aluminium and insisted he could fix the davits, no problem.

Well no problem for him, but one problem for the humans.

He needs the boat brought up the river and moored stern to in concrete boat lift facility.  The humans are rubbish at mooring at the best of times, and can never get their boat to travel in reverse in any direction except to port.  This should be hilarious to watch next week.

I will tell you how it goes.