Grand Anse D'Arlet
Moonbeam
David and Lynn Wilkie
Tue 25 Jan 2011 21:23
|
14.30.013N
061.05.199W
Le Marin is quite extraordinary in the range of
facilities, everywhere you go there is a specialist in one marine trade or
another.
On Wednesday we decided to move to St.Annes to
anchor off the beach where the water is lovely and clear but it became apparent
that the charging system was not functioning correctly and removing one of the
alternator belts pinpointed the failure so we headed back to Le Marin and
contacted " le main noir de Marin" who said he would collect the alternator in
the morning. However in true " Black Hand" style he did not collect it until
Friday lunchtime but said he would check it that afternoon and give me a call.
Meanwhile we got on with various jobs including fitting the replacement mast
head light, changing oil etc, etc! The weekend came and went and at 8.00am
Monday morning the phone call came and I collected the alternator. However the
verdict was no fault found but on refitting everything was charging flat out
again so fingers crossed!!
On raising our anchor we discovered that a week
anchored in Le Marin's dubious water quality appears to have removed some
galvanising from our anchor chain- I'm glad I did not go swimming there!
  leaving Le Marin
  We sailed west along the south coast of Martinique
where it was nice to view green fields again. Past the famous Diamond Rock which
became HMS Diamond Rock in the 19th Century when it was fortified by the British
Navy and headed north up the West Coast and anchored in Grand Anse D'Arlet which
is a perfect sandy bay with no yachting facilities but with probably 80 yachts
at anchor and several small restaurants on the beach offering Creole food.The
yachts here are mainly French including one we met in Porto Santo and "Lacaraba"
whom we have met several times since we shared a finger pontoon in Madeira!
      Also here is a rather unique French yacht that we
last saw in Puilladobrain 3 or 4 years ago! As the sun set we did see the
"Green Flash" and this was without alcohol assistance. A lovely evening so we
went ashore for dinner in a small restaurant where we ate on the beach under a
palm roof!
We had become used to going up and down hills in La
Gomera and felt quite fit there but since then excerise has been aerobic- just
keeping balance and climbing around the boat! Tuesday we decided to take the
'path' to Petite Anse D'Arlet to the South. It is a path through woods in name
only and with no obvious way markers we were misguided by incorrect signs but
luckily so were a French couple who had walked from Petite Anse so between us we
could point each other in the right direction! Both of the bays are most
attractive with good beaches and some lovely houses.
    the local library!
  After enjoying the market and some French
Quiche it was back over the hill to the anchorage for a lovely swim to cool
down.
|