Barbados to Martinique

After roughing it in Barbados we head across the sea to Martinique, we depart at noon and fly on a beam reach at 7 knots - two reefs in the main and 5 turns in the number 2. A rolly sea (of course) but we prevail and hold the beam reach, then a fine reach. Quite windy until we get in the lee of the island and we have a hour or two of motorsailing to arrive in Port du Marin on Martinique Southern coast. We had thought to arrive at daylight but came in at 5 am. Doros and I managed to pick up a spare mooring just off the marina. In the morning we motor to the fuel dock and  I clear in in at the captainaire - mainly diy using their computer, fast and painless - 5 Euro. The staff "help" us into our bow on mooring. I'd prefer to do this myself using my special swedish mooring hook but the two marina staff run around in a tizzy insisting on tying our ropes to the bouy and shouting in french to tie this and tie that. Shirley and I managed to do this in the Baltic for 5 years without much shouting but the Gallic way has more drama I suppose. Marin is very french, lovely baguettes and croissants. The marina has a lot of shops and facilities (although cold showers!) and there are a couple of laid back cafe/restaurants that serve us nicely. Alan, keen to check out the island, hires a car and we do a circumnavigation of the bottom half - the main town is Fort de France which we avoid, preferring the more "yachty" town of port du Marin.
We head for coffee and stop in sight of La Diamant - an impressive rock just off Martinique's bottom left hand corner. It has an interesting history - the English declared it a "ship" and installed cannon and sailors on it who shot at the french as they passed by. It looks like an incredible dive and we resolve to sail to it the following day.
View from the car as we continue around the coast.
We stop for a snorkel at a nearby beach, hot and sunny of course!
The wee rock is in 8 feet of water, the water is warm.


I see maybe ten species of fish and then we move on towards the North for Lunch at the Trois islets - on the south side of the bay facing Fort de France - which looks like a sizeable town (100k population)

And then we cut across to the East coast which faces the Atlantic  - it is totally different from the laid back West coast. The east is a lot poorer, buildings more ramshackle, but it has impressive water sports due to the ever present trade winds. Also has outlying reefs where I would not like to go!

The next day we depart and stop at La Diamant. Unfortunately it is blowing old boots and after an abortive attempt to anchor we conclude that discretion is the better part of valour and we will try and get a dive on the mainland in a more sheltered position... definitely want to dive La Diamant but next time will use a dive boat.

On the mainland we find two ridges and dive between them, peppered with bouys but we say only fish. Pleasant enough dive with colourful sponges, coral and fish. I dive with Alan and then Doros and Peter snorkel.