Martinique

Sunday 6 May: It’s a very quiet morning with just the 2 of us on board again.
We intend to relax today before a week of intense maintenance. All sorts of jobs to be done once we are in the marina.
At midday we lift the anchor and gently motor around all the various reefs and shallows up to Marina du Marin. A marina assistant meets us in his RIB and guides us to our berth. We go bows-to the pontoon to keep the bow into the wind and rain.
They have a weird mooring system here, where we have to tie to an outer buoy to hold us off the pontoon. That seems reasonable, except that there is a line of buoys, each less than 4m apart, which we have to steer through to get to the pontoon.
Rather annoying knowing that 2 buoys are scraping down either side of the boat, not to mention high chance of getting one around the keel, rudder or prop. The Mediterranean mud-line method is so much easier …. if not a little dirty!
Once tied up and the bow ladder secured on the anchor, we rig up the power and turn on the AC …. blissful cool dry air inside the boat. We are tempted to just hibernate inside for a day or 2! But no, jobs to be done.
First off, 4 machine loads of laundry at the marina launderette, which is beautifully clean with fantastic washing machines and tumble dryers, all at a reasonable price. A little different to our last laundry in Dominica, done by a plump old lady with one broken washing machine that didn’t heat the water …. and cloths dried goodness knows where! Such a contrast in facilities between these French islands and all the rest.
Next job is cleaning the guest area in the bow and put back all the “junk” which normally lives there: deck cushions, sun shade, dive gear, kite boards etc.
And so we get back our “Chinese laundry” room. This is what we call the guest cabin, because we have clothes lines arranged to dry towels!
Whilst getting the forepeak ready to take the spinnaker back inside, Glen notices that there is some corrosion dust below the windlass. Looks like one of the through deck bolts may have a leak. We clean it up and will keep an eye on that one.
And while our aft bed has no bedding on, Glen checks out the rudder bearings and auto helm. He discovers there seems to be a minor leak through the lower bearing by evidence of salt deposits. Again it’s cleaned and will have to be monitored.
Likely we’ll need to drop the rudder next time the boat is out, to put new seals. Ooph, the to do list is getting long again!
Then lastly, preparing the area for the refrigeration guys who will come tomorrow to fit a new evaporator plate in the middle fridge. We can’t wait to get it back working and get rid of the huge mobile fridge box that was loaned to us. It feels like it takes up 1/2 the saloon.
Then to bed with a 06:45 alarm. It will be all action tomorrow …. or at least it had better be!