Philibert turns up to start work at 6.30 am. This is quite a surprise although Mike has been up and on the PC since 5.15 am himself. Hopefully this is our last day in port. Not that Case Pilote isn’t quaint in its own working fishing port way, but I am so bored just sitting around and waiting. I can’t even get the inside of the boat cleaned because two of the cabins are completely dismantled and all the stuff crammed into the third.
As always, the unexpected happens and there are problems putting the generator back together. It’s not until nearly 12.30 that it all starts working properly.
The digger is still dredging away in the background. I am very glad we are moored where we are on the opposite dock as the guys working there have loosened two unoccupied boats from the dock and they are just swinging slightly at anchor. Every now and then, they swing back into the digger’s way and he just nudges them off with the big claw. I don’t think I would be very happy if I were one of the owners especially as right now, as I look out of the window, the two boats are knocking against each other with not a fender in sight!
At last I find something to do, reorganising the second of Mike’s working cupboards into the new boxes which we bought in St Martin. Well actually his stuff goes into the old boxes we had because, bloody typically, the new boxes won’t fit into the cupboard! We failed to notice that the two cupboards were not of identical depth! Ah well, it still looks neater and I know where everything is even if Mike doesn’t.
After lunch we borrow Frank’s car again and go into Fort de France so that we can check out. We head back again in what appears to be a quicker route but due to road works miss our turning and head into the interior of the island, passing the less salubrious area of the capital. It looks very poor, crowded and shabby, although I’m sure they all have marvellous views.
Photo: Fort de France
Eventually we drive through some nice bits before finding somewhere to turn the car round and heading the right way once more.
Photo: Eglise Montmartre
Back at Case Pilote, Mike goes to pay Frank for all the work. When he returns I ask him if he wants to lie down in a darkened room, but he is so excited that everything is working he doesn’t seem to mind the €3000 bill. It is exactly what he expected anyway.
On the boat we experiment with our new energy. We put two air conditioning units and the hair dryer. It is happy. We have the air conditioning and the toaster. It is happy. Oh joy!
It is a spectacular sunset, mainly because there are no clouds on the horizon. Mike warns me that it is going to be lovely, but I miss it as I am engrossed in the cruising guide to Grenada. I get the tail end though.
Photos: Our last Martinique sunset
We are having a leisurely start tomorrow to our 160 mile journey to Grenada. Hopefully we will be there late Sunday morning, so probably no blogs till Monday when we next find internet connection.
Good Morning from the "colonies" (Canada). We had a sunrise similar to your sunset, so my sweetie being a sailor said we were leaving the island today instead of tomorrow. You have wonderlust in your soul! Get the boat moving to the next and the next destination!
ReplyDeleteI have been quilting to make the beds cozy as the weather is cooling so fast here in Canada, fall is beautiful, but we know what is coming!
Yeah!! We can have pop tarts AND air conditioning!! ;) Have a nice sail to Grenada. Talk to you soon!
ReplyDeleteHeather