Dominica to Case Pilote, Martinique

We leave Roseau just after 7am.  The sea is like a mill pond again and there is virtually no wind so we motor, although we have the main sail up in anticipation of more wind as we get out of the shelter of land.

Sure enough, towards the southern end of Dominica, the wind does pick up and we put the genoa up as Mike is convinced we can sail on that course.  As we leave Dominica behind us, the wind picks up to about 24 knots and just as we start to relax into the journey there is a terrific bang.  We both look at each other.  We recognise the noise.  Mike goes round the bimini to look up at the main sail only to find that yes, once again, the outhaul has broken and the back of the sail is flapping around in the wind.

This is so frustrating.  This is about the fourth time this has happened – there is a rough bit that has developed in the boom in the channel where the outhaul travels.  We can’t get to it and even if we could, we don’t have the tools to deal with it so it will have to wait until we get to Grenada.

In the meantime, we have to deal with the flapping sail, so first of all we roll away the genoa.  By now, with the increase in wind, and the fact that we are still in relatively shallow water, the waves are throwing us around as I try to hold Jeannius pointing into the wind.  Mike puts his life jacket on, hooks himself to the mast and puts a reef in the main sail.  Then we get back on course and put the genoa back out.

Unbelievably, a few miles north of Martinique, the wind drops completely and we have to take both sails down and motor the rest of the way.

Photo:  Beautiful lush green hills of Martinique

We arrive at the harbour in Case Pilote and manage to squeeze ourselves into a small space alongside the harbour wall.  I jump off and tie the boat up but the sun is blazing down on me and I can feel my skin burning with the heat of it.  While waiting for Mike to make some fine adjustments to the warps on the boat, I squat down in the shade of the harbour wall.  I must have looked very silly.  Mike pronounces our mooring up to be successful and I get back on board to make us both a drink. 

In the middle of this, Frank, the owner of Inboard Diesel Services brings his boat into the harbour and points to the space on the other side of the harbour which he has reserved for us.  Bugger.  He says that we don’t need to move but he can’t provide us with electricity for the air conditioning once the generator is removed if we don’t.  No contest.  We go back out to sea so he can move into our space, take the fenders and lines from the ports side and put them on the starboard side and start all over again.  In the heat.

As the sun starts to go down we sit and watch some local kids diving and throwing each other into the sea off the new dock.  Playing with my new camera allows me to get some amazing high burst action shots.  The young lad looks like he is flying!

Photo:  I just love my new camera!!

All the local men arrive to start fishing from the harbour wall, and the sun gradually goes down.  Tomorrow the expensive work begins.