Sailing Round the World on Sal Darago: Martinique to Bonaire

Belated Birthday Lunch

A very strange thing happened on the way to Martinique. The dinghy was hauled up on the roof as usual. It has two retractable wheels on its stern so that it can be hauled up slipways or beaches. The last time the wheels had been used was on the River Deben in Suffolk but one of them had a puncture. We had bought a new inner tube in Spain and found the valve had snapped off, while we were crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The hunt for a dinghy wheel began. We must have visited every chandler, hardware shop and tyre centre in Marin with no luck. However, persistence paid off and Jeremy bought a new small wheel complete with inner tube for 9.99 euros. He fitted the new tube in the old tyre.

Checks are in, but what a view

Then there was the strange incident of the French Orange data SIM card. We took our dongle and laptop to the shop and bought a 1gb card. Everything worked in the shop and on board SD that night. The next day, it didn’t work. So, back to the shop we went and the man said we had to top up. We topped up, which took a long time because the Orange shop has the worst signal anywhere in Martinique! Now we had paid 29.99 euros and….you’ve guessed……..it still didn’t work. All we could do was connect the laptop to my mobile phone and, bingo, we had internet on the boat, and it only took two days to get it!

Anse Noire with Sal Darago

We moved from Marin to Anse Noire and the rain began. Dodging squalls, we anchored in the bay and went ashore to a lovely restaurant just a short climb up steps set into the cliff. Here, we belatedly celebrated Jeremy’s birthday while watching sheets of rain obliterate the fine view over the bay.

Caribbean hitchhiker at night

The next day we dodged more squalls on the short motor to Fort de France – directly into the wind. It was Saturday, so we checked out at the chandlery as we were leaving for Bonaire the next day. Then we looked for somewhere for lunch and everywhere was closed. The main town of Martinique was like a ghost town and a wet one at that. Most of the shops were closed and the choices for food were expensive hotels with long waits for service, Macdonalds or KFC. We opted for Macdonalds.

Dreadful weather on arrival in Bonaire

Leader Price supermarket was open and packed. Jeremy had to beg a trolley from the check-out queue. We bought what we needed for our 5 day passage and added 2 bottles of Bordeaux wine. After queueing for ages, we packed our bags and I paid the bill. Then I noticed a trail of red liquid dripping from my rucksack. One bottle of wine had broken. The bottom had sliced off cleanly and 70cl of Bordeaux was sloshing around in my rucksack where I had a beige raincoat and other bits and pieces along with some shopping.

Looks like 5000 visitors got here before us

How do you get red wine out of a jacket and a rucksack? Easy. First you dip the rucksack in the nearest puddle. Then you look for a public toilet only they’re locked on Saturdays. So, you return to your waterlogged dinghy and it is just what you need to rinse the jacket and the rucksack, while passers-by give you strange looks and keep on walking.

Fortunately the sun shone on Sunday 12^th March and we were able to dry everything before setting off for Bonaire. We had a good passage with our usual downwind rig of twin poles with the furling genoa on one side and the no.2 jib hanked on the other side. Mostly, we flew full sails in moderate winds and a low swell.

Fish under Sal Darago, Bonaire

As we approached the south end of Bonaire at 0500 the fair winds increased to 25-31 knots and heavy rain fell. We needed to change course and Jeremy took down the poles and lines getting soaked to the skin in the process. More squalls followed as black night turned into grey dawn. Our destination of Kralendijk disappeared behind sheets of heavy rain. Our cruising guide told us we were in the dry season. That was good to know.

We picked up a mooring managed by Harbour Village Marina, as yachts are not allowed to anchor, and were told by the marina office to check in with Customs and Immigration first and then go to the marina to pay for the mooring. This we did, and arrived by dinghy at the marina with three empty cooking gas bottles and four water containers. Two men were locking the office door as we arrived at midday and we were told to return at 1.30pm. Jeremy asked if our gas bottles could be filled and one man became angry and gave Jeremy a tirade about respect. Then he walked off complaining that we were interfering with his time and told us to go back to our own country. He turned out to be the duty marina manager. We thought this was probably the worst welcome we’d had to any country we’d visited. We returned in the afternoon to pay for the mooring.

What can I say? Beautiful motion

Today has been much better and we have found the people to be very helpful and friendly. I have been able to buy prescription medicine from the hospital pharmacy, our washing has been done in the best laundry we’ve been in and soon we shall snorkel from the boat and see all kinds of colourful tropical fish.