This is the day when Rebecca and her family leaves, in the evening.  So we can have our last morning swim as usual before we motor across the bay one last time.  Le Cul de Sac de Fort de France has become our home waters here with the marina at l’Etang zAbricots at one end and the beaches of Point de Bout on the other.  So we make an early anchor-up in order to have time to wash and shower etc. Very good facilities actually, even with a dryer.  Sheets, towels etc. get washed.  Wonderful.  At 4 o’clock a taxi comes and it is over.

Swell time with the kids enjoying the sand and the water and the grown ups rejoice from their joy.  It has been a very good time.

A couple of hours later co-skipper Stefan shows up…..he will now cruise the region with a crew of his own.

Usual morning routine and then it is the police.  Oh yes, big place with guards and all.  I tell me errand to the guy in the booth and are told to sit down. 30 minutes later a very decent police officer picks me up and in his office he explains that I should go not to the police but to the “gendarmerie”, and not in Fort de France but in Trois Islets, on the waters outside of which the robbery took place.  Ah….so much effort for nothing.  However, the guy took pity on me and filed my complaint.  I got a whole set of papers, some of which were the ones I needed for the insurance company and the rest for the gendarmerie on the other side of the bay; they would now undertake a proper search for my dinghy. Well,….tried I, but he was very adamant: A large search and I must go the the gendarmerie upon my return….(?)

Meanwhile there had been shopping and as soon as we can we cross the bay to…precisely Trois Islets, or rather Point de Bout.  We have come full circle.  This is the first mooring we had with Rebecca’s family and it will now be the last.  Swimming in the lagoon like created beach.  We realize that this used to be a rather fancy resort which went bust.  The old building is now torn down and a new one is in preparation (?) Soon this place will be excluded and out-of-bounds for sailors like us.

Sunday, we decide to make it for Forte de France again.  Skipper needs to file a form by the police on the theft of the dinghy and we also need to do some final purchases at the chandlerer’s.  Usual morning routine, up for a swim and breakfast.  A bit of “sympa” for the kids when they awaken.  …and then anchor-up and away.  We motor up the few miles and cast anchor underneath the Fort; the usual place.  There are remarkably lot of people up and it turns out that is is a carnival in the making.

An carnival it is!  At 1500-hours the centre of town is crowded and a parade of at least 30 groups pass by, dancing, chanting, drums beating.  So standing in the cooling trade wind, sun on the back and seeing all this joy is quite comforting.  All-in-all, life is actually good !

So, all into the evening this frantic beat of drums is ever-present but at 2300 a big squall passes and everything calms down.  The night gets to be quite silent and we sleep well

A leisure day at the beach at Grand Anse d'Arlets, our favourite place.....

After breakfast, Skipper goes into Waterworld chandler and secures the new “siphon break” that was ordered a week ago.  At 1300 we pick up Gerry who installs the thing.  Engine now fully operational again (nice!!).  They also “power-checked the consumer batteries: One is bad (0%) while the others are so-so (60%).  The low voltage in the early morning hours are however gone (!?) and the electrical system works quite nicely now (self-curing batteries !?, we will see for how Iong it lasts!!).

The family spends the day on the beach while the boat is fixed.  Aterwards we dinghy in to the "waterfront" of Gros Islet, rhe municipality closest. One reaches this by going deep into the excavated "pond" in which lies also the marina.  All of a sudden in a pretty fancy commercial district.  Prices here are surprisingly high considering that St.Lucia is not a "rich country".  By British example, the income spread is probably considerable.....

Back to the boat in the bay.  Evening swim and dinner exercises. Playing games....

The meteorology is out of order.  Today, when we really need the trade wind…it is gone, and replaced by a weak north-north westerly!  Wind exactly on the nose.  Luckily it is not very strong so we can motor up towards Martinique.  So, up early, morning swim and breakfast; the usual routine. Away at 09.00.  Clear skies make Martinique visible from the start and the distance seems shorter, uneventful, indeed.  We make for the Grand Anse, our favourite and the place that Rebecca enjoyed over a pina colada already 17 years ago, when she cross the Atlantic. 

It is amazing how quickly the kids adapt to a wet environment.  Lykke swims like a fish and so does Levi, although a strange fish wearing a life jacket.  He and Rebecca swims all the way out to the boat and skip the dinghy.

We need to go north.  The crew leaves in 5 days and we want to revisit the beaches of Martinique.  So, today we rise early.  Skipper has a telephone conference in the morning while the crew enjoys the posh board walk.  We slip the buoy at noon and, again, motor the 10 miles up to Rodney Bay.  This will be the last we see of this place that has become dear to us, after this we will go north.

The day is rather rainy and the children enjoys the beach while mother and father enjoys the protection of rain shields…….Skipper hooks up to the web again.

The evening brings swimming around the boat, jumping from the deck (with life jackets).  We go to bed early to prepare for tomorrows passage back to Martinique.

Up the early hours, as usual….We want to go further south, to the Souffrière, supposedly the “real” St.Lucia close to the Pitons, two volcanic peaks that reach high in the sky. These Pitons are the hallmark of St.Lucia….and name the local beer.

Wind is low so we motor down, 2 hours, and moor by a buoy close to the shore; the bay is very deep.  Dinghy in and a little walk.  We hire a taxi to drive us up to the volcano.  The southern part of the island is made up by a caldera, the remnants of a once mighty volcano that blew up, like Santorini.  Still not dormant, however, and we are guided around and sniffing rotten eggs; sulphur gases.  These gases name the place, Souffrière and not the French meaning of the word, “suffering”.  All in all a nice change of activity, certainly capturing the imagination….and we have helped the local economy to some extent.  Very good.

In the afternoon we decide to motor back, no beaches available here.  So at 16.00 we re-enter Marigot Bay.  We maintain our distant attitude and do not enter the inner pond.  There is, however, a strange swell from the west and in the evening we find ourselves being rocked by mini-tsunamis that rise over the shelf underneath us.  After dinner, in pitch darkness, we decide to sneak into the pond.  We are instantly met by a guy in a dinghy who guide us to a buoy and leaves us in dead silence and dead calm…..  The pond is pitch dark but lit by (substantial) constructions all around.  Magic….

Morning routines are now quite established:  Kids wake up at 6 and immediately go into playing cards (“Sympathy solitaire”), a favourite and skill of the Ryds….!  Great fun. At 06:30 skipper appears and takes a dip, always a morning swim before breakfast !! Eventually, Kalle appears and we make breakfast.  This after also Rebecca has wet herself; she is ambitious and makes a number of turns around the boat or to the shore.  Hard training !

At noon we embark for the short trip to Marigot Bay, exploited but beautiful inlet… still a favourite. An hour and a half and anchor in the outer bay.  Afternoon swimming from the little sandy promontory opposite to the marina.  Palm trees and some beer…..

In the dark of the early evening we use the dingy to go deep into the inner bay to “Rainforest Hideaway”, deep in the mangroves, and run by Swedish Åsa from Helsingborg.  One passes under a lit bridge into a lit pond where fish swim under the dingy. A dark suited, very proper man helps the ladies to the bridge and, under noisy locusts, we are led to a candle lit dinner table.  We have an exquisite (and quite expensive) dinner.  The children behave perfectly; the must be sensible to the extraordinary circumstances.

Today we are going to make the jump south to St.Lucia.  Early breakfast and then away.  The trade is up so it is the usual 20-25 knots.  Calle, who supposedly gets seasick in a glass of water steers the whole way, 3 hours, fit as a fiddle (!) Keeps us dead on course. Betty and Levi vomit a little bit but on the whole it is a good passage. Enter Rodney Bay as about 13.00 and go for the southern part of the Bay to avoid the very aggressive Reggie music that upset Marion last time.

The afternoon on the beach.  No dinghy jetty here so we drag the dinghy up on the shore.  No problem Initially but when leaving we had them same break water experience that drowned skipper’s telephone last spring; the swell makes a mini-tsunami and pours over the back of the dinghy. Well…only water and not another phone mishap this time (we have had enough…!).

Dinners are mostly composed of pasta (loved by the kids) together with various exotic vege varieties from Rebecca.  Always tasteful.

Pretty much the same as yesterday.  The kids love the beach and it is a pleasure to see them enjoying themselves.  With their new goggles they make acquaintance with abundant submarine life that we do not see in Scandinavia, like sea turtles, sea stars and corals. Lykke swims well while Levi needs to paddle around in his life jacket.  Little Betty stays on the sand....

We double the promontory between the Anses d’Arlets into the Petite Anse, where the village is situated.  Boulangerie and supermarché; we get provisions.  We try to stay out of the sun mid-day and at 3 o’clock hit the beach again.  At a local waterhole skipper can hook up to the net; amazing to be able to work at the end of the world.....

Pretty much the same as yesterday.  The kids love the beach and it is a pleasure to see them enjoying themselves.  With their new goggles they make acquaintance with abundant submarine life that we do not see in Scandinavia. Lykke swims well while Lei needs to paddle around in his life jacket.  Works just fine.

We double the promontory of the Anses d’Arlets into the Petite Anse, where the village is situated.  Boulangerie and supermarché; we get provisions.  We try to stay out of the sun mid-day and at 3 o’clock hit the beach again.  Works fine.

On the south-western tip of Martinique lie les Anse d’Arlets, well protected with beautiful beaches and clear water that brims with sea turtles.  The morning routines are quickly established. Kids wake at 06.00 or so.  At 06.30 skipper tunes in and the compulsory morning swim is undertaken.  Rebecca turns this into a major physical exercise.  Subsequent  breakfast and then away.  We basically just turn the corner into the Grand Anse d’Arlet and decide to stay the day.  We telephone Gerry and Shawn at Volvo Penta/Rodney Bay and tell them will will arrive for final completion of repairs next Monday.  “OK, no problem”.

So, big beach day.  Lykke, Levi and Betty enjoy themselves thoroughly.  Lunch at 12.30 and then some soft hours (siesta) under the most burning sun.  At 3 o’clock back to the beach.  The sun set promptly t 6.00 p.m, very short dusk and at 6.30 it is pitch dark.  Lykke and Levi are introduced to “Sympathy solitaire”, a Swedish/Ryd family speciality.  Card game, great fun. They learn quickly.

On the south-western tip of Martinique lie les Anse d’Arlets, well protected with beautiful beaches and clear water that brims with sea turtles.  The morning routines are quickly established. Kids wake at 06.00 or so.  At 06.30 skipper tunes in and the compulsory morning swim is undertaken.  Rebecca turns this into a major physical exercise.  Subsequent  breakfast and then away.  We basically just turn the corner into the Grand Anse d’Arlet and decide to stay the day.  We telephone Gerry and Shawn at Volvo Penta/Rodney Bay and tell them will will arrive for final completion of repairs next Monday.  “OK, no problem”.

So, big beach day.  Lykke, Levi and Betty enjoy themselves thoroughly.  Lunch at 12.30 and then some sogt hours under the most burning sun.  At 3 o’clock back to the beach.  The sun set promptly t 6.00 p.m, very short dusk and at 6.30 it is pitch dark.  Lykke and Levi are introduced to “Sympa”, a Swedish/Ryd family speciality.  Card game, great fun. They learn quickly.

First thing we need to do is to get a “anti vol”, a cable and lock to prevent further mishaps with the dinghy. So we motor up to Fort de France and anchor under Fort Louis. Dinghy in to the front park and while Calle and the kids guard the dinghy (with their lives..!!), Rebecca and skipper find “Sea Service”, a formidably well equipped ship’s chandler. Anti vol + life vest to Lykke and we are all go. Additional provisions at a “Leader Price”…..  Here one can also check out of Martinique by a simple seld, administred soft-ware to the benefit od officials on St.Lucia.

We search beaches and baths, so we choose to cross the bay yet once more, this time to Anse Noir. We anchor up and go for the dinghy jetty (pont d’annexe).  The kids get to over-indulge in (black) sand and (clear) water.  It quite heartening to see them…..

First thing we need to do is to get a “anti vol”, a cable and lock to prevent further mishaps with the dinghy. So we motor up to Fort de France and anchor under Fort Louis. Dinghy in to the front park and while Calle and the kids guard the dinghy, Rebecca and skipper find “Sea Service”, a formidably well equipped ship’s chandler. Anti vol + life vest to Lykke and we are all go. Additional provisions at a “Leader Price”….

We search beaches and baths, so we choose to cross the bay yet once more, this time to Anse Noir. We anchor up and go for the dinghy jetty (pont d’annexe).  The kids get to over-indulge in (black) sand and water.  It quite heartening to see them…..

Morning activities including shower in the marina.  The joint is 2 year old and already the shower facilities are rotting away…! Anyway, we make the walk up to Carrefour and buy provisions.  Again tremendous difficulties in finding a taxi back with all our food stuff.  In the end we succeed and in the marine the new dinghy is waiting for us. 

So, in the end, all is good, to the tune of a substantial amount of money.  Insurance company is averted……

We motor across the bay to Point de Bout and, finally, are able to swim/play at the beach.  The kids and we all are happy.

Morning activities including shower in the marina.  The joint is 2 year old and already the shower facilities are rotting away…! Anyway, we make the walk up to Carrefour and buy provisions.  Again tremendous difficulties in finding a taxi back with all our food stuff.  In the end we succeed and in the marine the new dinghy is waiting for us. 

So, in the end, all is good, to the tune of a substantial amount of money.  Insurance company is averted……

We motor across the bay to Point de Bout and, finally, are able to swim/play at the beach.  The kids and we all are happy.

3/1

Idle preparations in port, well idle……skipper is pretty overwrought by the dinghy stealth.  So everything is a bit half hearted to tell the truth.  However, at 1600 Rebecca and her family is due so I order a taxi 6 hours in advance.  When the time is up, there is no taxi (taxi service is really rotten on Martinique).  All drivers run individual companies and seem to work as they please…..So, again, the staff in the marina drove me there (!).  ….and 5 pretty white, albino-like people appeared.  Oh, good to see them.

At the airport we do find a taxi and are all soon established inside AQUARYD.

Idle preparations in port, well idle……skipper is pretty overwrought by the dinghy stealth.  So everything is a bit half hearted to tell the truth.  However, a new dinghy appears !! This time a CAB fibeglas bottom boat.  A bit heavier thn the old one but it will have to make do.  They are very common here. Same outboarder, Yamaha 9.9 hp.

At 1600 Rebecca and her family is due so I order a taxi 6 hours in advance.  When the time is up, there is no taxi (taxi service is really rotten on Martinique).  All drivers run individual companies and seem to work as they please…..So, again, the staff in the marina drove me there (!).  ….and 5 pretty white, albino-like people appeared.  Oh, good to see them.

At the airport we do find a taxi and are all soon established inside AQUARYD.

Cloudy and windy morning and……the dinghy is gone !!!! Ahh….BIG catastrophy!  How the heck.  It was laying in the water but securely fixed to the boat. Without a dinghy you you are a no-good to explore the Carribean……! Cannot cast anchor ! Ohh…no! Rebecca and family arriving tomorrow….!!

Skiper hoist the anchor and search or the dinghy.  The wind locally where the boat was would have blown it into the bay….but to no avail.  Dinghy gone, I say stolen under my nose !  The local tell that this is often fellows, but more destitute, sailors (these waters are full of raher bad looking boats) who find an easy way to augment their equipment...They sneak up in the night, act and are gone to a neightbour island.

 I motor up to l’Eang zAbricot, my usual safe heaven in these waters and pour my misery to the staff. ….and the do respond!  First thy find, and drove me to, a nearby place for  a new phone.  After 3 hours the new phone is completely reformatized to be identilcal with the old one….iCloud is pretty good.

The day after they organized a search for a new dinghy which will be delivered  in a day or two. 

Wake up to a cloudy and windy morning.  Going for a morning swim after all and……the dinghy is gone !!!! Ahh….BIG catastrophy!  How the heck?  It was laying in the water but securely fixed to the boat. Without a dinghy you you are a no-good to explore the Carribean……! Cannot cast anchor ! Ohh…no! Rebecca and family arriving tomorrow….!!

Skipper hoists the anchor and search for the dinghy.  The wind locally where the boat was would have blown it into the bay….but to no avail.  Dinghy gone, I say stolen under my nose !

I motor up to l’Etang zAbricot, my usual safe heaven in these waters and pour my misery to the staff. ….and the do respond!  First thy find, and drove me to, a nearby place for  a new phone.  After 3 hours the new phone is completely reformatted to be identical with the old one….iCloud is pretty good.

For the day after they organized a search for a new dinghy which will be delivered shortly.

That's what friends are for......Skipper is really grateful to the staff at the marina

We spend a lazy morning, take a swim and a walk and then breakfast. Finally we, reluctantly, motor the 2 miles up to Point du Bout from where Marion aims at taking a taxi.

On leaving the boat, skipper looses his balance on the dinghy and splashes into the water…with the iPhone (which promptly dies).  Ahh…catastrophe! Telephone conferences in 2 two days, Rebecca arriving……

We spend couple of frantic hours at the local restaurant. How to get a new phone? We order a taxi in good time for th airport: Oui, dans 20 minute !  It took almost an hour for the taxi to arrive by which time Marion was beyond herself. We made it to the airport in (pretty) good time, it appeared and M was promptly hushed through security. It took skipper almost 2,5 hours to get back to the boat. In rain, storm and darkness he recovered the boat…..

Alone in the stormy night, a night cap seemed appropriate……