Martinique, day 5 – Sante Anne

Saturday 21 April: Day 1 with Teo (Oana’s brother) Geta and Darius (2years old) aboard. We wake up to little laughs coming from the bow cabin. Our guests are already up and about …. since 4am actually! They are all affected by the 7 hour jet lag.
During breakfast we discuss strategy for the coming few days. Verdict is to get out of the marina and see how Darius does with the boat moving. So we drop off the hire car, pay the Marina bill, visit the boulangerie then prepare to depart.
For leaving the berth, Glen and Oana have one plan but the marina guys in a dinghy seem to have another plan. We drop the stern and bow lines and start to motor out when they demand we turn off the engine and they tow us out!! No way! The wind is blowing 20 knots, we are already hard onto the next boat and rapidly going sideways. How on earth are they going to pull 30 tons with a small outboard??
So we push them out the way and motor out while we still have some steerage. A bit of shouting and swearing ensues but no harm done … luckily. Boy we do hate coming into and leaving marinas. So much potential for damage. Poor Teo and Geta wonder what is happening and we try to persuade them that this is not normal!
Once out we weave our way through the narrow but well buoyed channel out of the crowded bay, turn to port (left) passed the Club Med resort and along the beach of Saint Anne.
Being the weekend and one of the best beaches in Martinique, it is crowded with yachts. But we find a gap where the wind seems less and drop the anchor in 6m of water.
Darius is a little agitated. He can see the water over the rail and wants to get in it. And even more so when he sees Teo jump in for a swim off the stern. But it’s gusting 22 knots and there is quite a current flowing, so we opt to blow up the paddling pool (AKA Oana’s bath!) and fill with sea water via the deck wash hose.
Darius is beside himself with excitement and as soon as he is immersed is a very happy boy! He doesn’t seem to mind the salt water and in fact keeps licking it. And there he stays for an hour of self entertainment until he is hauled out for lunch, which he is not happy about …. at all! But he is happy about Oana’s curry and he eats half of Teo’s plate. Great to see kids eating proper food so enthusiastically.
Apparently he should sleep after his lunch but today he has other ideas. Although clearly tired he is crying but not sleeping. So we decide to go to the small beach we are next to.
The dinghy ride is into the wind but with 5 on board there is a lot of spray over the bow and everyone is pretty much wet before we even get to the beach! Sure enough, once in the water again, Darius is totally happy. He clearly loveS water!
Then it’s the parents turn to nap on the mat in the shade of the palm tree, while Glen and Oana walk the energizer boy up and down the beach.
After a light rain shower we move the dinghy to Saint Anne dinghy dock, have a stroll in the village then watch the sunset with a drink in a beach side bar.
Then back to Cloudy Bay before it gets too dark, where Oana prepares a lovely light dinner which we eat under a starlite sky with Darius asleep. Finally his battery has run out!
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