Sounds like a Jimmy Buffet song! I originally called this post Wrecks, Volcanoes and Rhum, but the title above sounds better.
Martinique is in the Hurricane zone, so there are plenty of boats left to rot on the rocks and shoals. Martinique also has a large population of local French boats that are forgotten on a mooring or at anchor. The wreck must be more expensive to clear away than to leave it as a reminder stormier days.
Eric and I left the kids with Orion, our kid boat friends, and took Topaz to investigate the shipwrecks and tour the harbor. Grand Anse D’Arlet is lined with restaurants, a few private houses and small hotels.
Topaz has a place on the bow. We clip her off to one of the lines we lift the dinghy out of the water with. It’s just long enough to see everything but not long enough to leap out and head for shore.
The water is so clear here you can look down on the snorkeling spots before jumping in.
The kids from 4 boats had a swinging good time on Cape. My kids had a difficult time warming up to making friends. They acted as if they were scarred from moving away from their old pals. Roy didn’t want to make friends knowing we would separate somewhere along the way. Soon enough he decided to join in. We’re getting used to the ‘coming and going’ friendship with Orion. We have similar plans through Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Antigua.
Genny used silicone sealer as glue and sea glass to make this little masterpiece.
Back in the old days when the French and the British sea battles determined who would rule the Caribbean, the British hauled cannons up this rock and HMS Diamond Rock was born. Martinique was also the home of Napolean’s Josephine, she was raised on a sugar plantation.
Marin is a huge yachting center for the local sailors. Sunday is usually a quiet day in the islands, most shops and restaurants are closed. Martinique has these unique little race boats. The internet calls them Yole race boats. The guy in the back not only steers but paddles with his rudder. The crew hangs off poles extended over the sides, dragging their feet and paddling with their hands. We enjoyed the race as the boats sailed around us as if we were just another obstacle.
We took a Sunday drive around the bay, the wrecks are always an attraction.
Our marinas back home give each boat a finger off the main dock to tie to. This is your personal walkway with cleats to side tie the boat. The marinas here “med moor”, fastening the bow to a line anchored in the mud and the stern to the dock. These boats have only a few inches between them, just enough for a few fenders. We never witnessed someone parking their boat, but that would have been interesting.
After a crazy day of provisioning, I took the kids to a tiny beach on the point. It looked like a hotel restaurant was around the corner so we tried to be quiet and play in the soft sand.
The bay is lined with mangroves. In some cases it looked like either the boats were anchored in the mangroves, or maybe they had been there so long the mangroves grew around the boat.
There were also boats that sank at anchor still sitting there on the bottom.
Mangrove rivers are fun, this one reminded us of Mexico.
Before going back out to our favorite snorkeling anchorage, everyone got hair cuts. Topaz was first, then Eric and Roy.
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When the sailing is good, we read science and history underway. The kids find some place to flop, Genny’s bed is right below this hatch and she likes to flop there. We just read about whales and seals, looking forward to the reef fish chapter.
Topaz has a favorite corner too. He has to always be tied up because she seems to think she can swim to shore faster than we can get her there.
So far, it’s rained most every day. The rain rinses the salt off the boat and keeps us busy opening and closing the hatches. I’m not sure if it’s the location, season, land formations, or some other reason, but the east side of Grenada brought us huge down pours several times a day, the east side of the island brought lighter sprinkles for a shorter time, and Martinique has occasional misty rain to produce beautiful rainbows.
We had a fun sail from the southern part of Martinique to St. Pierre at the northern end. The wind would zip us up to 8 kts and then die down to 1 kt. It was variable like that because we’re on the leeward side of the island protected by the trade winds. This side is also protected from the seas and swells of the Atlantic side.
Today the kids are learning about foreign currency and exchange rates. Before we left California, the dentist wanted to pull one of Marie’s snaggly front teeth. It eventually came out, but now the other one is snaggly. So I offered the kids 10 dollars to get it out. The kids quickly asked if that is 10 Euros or 10 Eastern Caribbean dollars, I offered our current local currency. 1 Euro = $1.30 US dollars and 1 EC = about $0.30 US dollars. Today we’re using Euros and tomorrow it will be ECs. The tooth isn’t out yet, but they did spend a day taking turns wiggling it for her.
St. Pierre is one of those with a history of being wiped out by a volcano. In 1902 it was known as Paris of the Caribbean with modern conveniences like electricity, running water, street cars, theaters, etc. The surrounding sugar plantations brought in wealth and trade. In the months prior to the towns destruction Mt. Pelee had been spitting ash and volcanic mudslides wiped out a few plantations. The Mayor consulted with scientists that assured him the town was safe. At 8am on Ascension Day as all the kids were on their way to church to make their 1st communion, a river of exploding gas came out of the mountain and blew up the town and all the ships in the bay. 29,999 people were killed, the only survivor was Cyparis, a prisoner. After his ordeal he toured with Barnum and Bailey Circus recounting his experiences.
Here the kids met up with Orion for more kid adventures, mischief and mayhem.
Topaz also met a dog friend on the Catamaran Kazio. We had great time visiting with this interesting family. They’re from Spain, last lived in Switzerland, grew up in the D.C. area and French Canada and have 2 little girls who speak French, Spanish and English and had lots of great stories.
Yesterday we had a huge adventure on land. Touring the ruins and a grueling hike to a rum distillery.
Touring ruins can be boring, so we enjoyed and ice cream treat while looking at the foundations left behind by Mt. Pelee.
Below the family poses in front of the Cyparis’ prison cell that saved his life.
Are we there yet? The next adventure was to drag the kids about a mile uphill on a road that runs through a cane field with a few houses and minimal sidewalks to the local distillery. The tour showed us how they pressed the sugar cane, fermented the juice and aged the rum in oak barrels. The fresh white rum has a higher alcohol content but lacks the flavor of the aged rum.
Here’s a clearer shot of Mt. Pelee in the back ground.
Everyone collects something. Some people like shells, thimbles, spoons, trivets, stuff like that. I’ve started a rum collection. So far have samples from Grenada and Martinique. I’m most excited about the rum in a box! Come visit us for a tasting!
