For the month of March, Christian opted for a yacht charter in Martinique with 7 of his friends. Here's a look back at their 2-week cruise aboard a Bali 4.3 from Le Marin, where they discovered the many islands of the southern Antilles.
A first in the southern Antilles
Christian, a retired sailor, decided to introduce his friends to the West Indies, where he had already sailed, notably in Trinidad and Tobago. Accustomed to skippering his boat in the French Mediterranean, Christian's extensive sailing experience gave him the confidence to sail for two weeks in the West Indies, as the end of the high season approaches in April and the wind begins to blow.
Starting from Le Marin in Martinique, they sailed to the Tobago Cays.
The Bali 4.3
The Annapolis, their Bali catamaran, dated 2018 and had 6 cabins that could accommodate 12 people. The Bali 4.3 is a catamaran renowned for its spacious interior layout and high performance thanks to its lightweight hull. It's an ideal choice for sailors looking for a versatile, easy-to-handle boat.
"The catamaran was very comfortable and suitable for anchoring close to the coast. In addition, the anchorages were very pleasant thanks to the boat's stability."
Christian's itinerary
Christian had already anticipated a good part of his itinerary thanks to articles on the Internet and maps, but most of the anchorages were selected on the spot. Initially, Christian wanted to show his friends Trinidad-Et-Tobago, where he had sailed a few years ago. However, they would have had less time to enjoy the anchorages, so they decided to head down to Clifton.
- Day 1 : Le Marin
- Day 2 : Le Marin → La Grande Anse (35 miles nautiques, 4 hours 30 minutes)
- Day 3 : La Grande Anse → L'Anse des plages (20 miles nautiques, 2 hours 30 minutes)
- Day 4 : L'Anse des plages → Georgetown (35 miles nautiques, 4 hours 30 minutes)
- Day 5 : Georgetown → Port-Elizabeth (25 miles nautiques, 3 hours)
- Day 6 : Port-Elizabeth → Lovell (10 miles nautiques, 1 hour)
- Day 7 : Lovell → Tobago Cays (25 miles nautiques, 3 hours)
- Day 8 : Tobago Cays → Clifton (5 miles nautiques, 30 minutes)
- Day 9 : Clifton→ Mayreau (5 miles nautiques, 30 minutes)
- Day 10 : Mayreau → Canouan (5 miles nautiques, 30 minutes)
- Day 11 : Canouan → Chateaubelaire (40 miles nautiques, 5 hours)
- Day 12 : Chateaubelaire → L'Anse des Pitons (40 miles nautiques, 5 hours)
- Day 13 : L'Anse des Pitons → Marigot Bay (15 miles nautiques, 1 hour 30 minutes)
- Day 14 : Marigot Bay → L'Anse Sainte-Anne (40 miles nautiques, 5 hours)
- Day 15 : L'Anse Sainte-Anne → Le Marin (5 miles nautiques, 30 minutes)
The crew's favourite anchorage
"Our favorite anchorage was Chateaubelaire on the island of Saint-Vincent, where we did customs clearance. In this town, there are lots of locals who come and offer to help for a fee or sell us merchandise, they're very friendly and helpful. "
Chateaubelaire is a small town on the westside of Saint-Vincent Island in the Saint-David region. This small fishing town of just a few hundred inhabitants is a 1-hour walk from the Dark Views waterfalls.
"One islander offered to pick us up in a rowboat from the boat to take us ashore and waited for us at the beach to bring us back afterwards, another showed us around the "Dark Views" waterfall in the Jungle, and another sold us bananas and mangoes from his rowboat. It was a great experience!"
The majestic, enchanting Dark View Falls are two superb waterfalls stretching one above the other, tumbling forcefully down vertiginous cliffs into divine natural pools. The hike to these wonders is a short and refreshingly simple stroll through lush rainforest, spanning the Richmond River on a bamboo or conventional bridge.
Their best memories
"Saint-Vincent is nice for walks and anchorages, it's a very wild and authentic island. Nonetheless, the island is volcanic, so it's not the best for snorkeling; you should prefer tobago cays, union island or mayreau. In the latter, we swam with thousands of fish and turtles!"
"Saint Lucia is a very beautiful island, but less of a change of scenery, wild and much more Western than Saint Vincent, but very nice nonetheless."
Saint Lucia is a Caribbean island south of Martinique, part of the Grenadines archipelago. It is known for its white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, rainforest and pitons, two emblematic mountains rising above the sea. The capital, Castries, is bustling with colourful markets, boutiques and restaurants offering tasty local cuisine. The island is much richer and more touristy than Saint-Vincent.
"In Mayreau, we bought fish from fishermen on their boats, and they were excellent, a superb souvenir."
Mayreau, a small paradise island of just 1.5 square kilometres, nestled in the Grenadines south of Canouan, is an oasis of beauty. With a population of around 300, it boasts pristine white sand beaches, shimmering crystal-clear waters and glistening coral reefs. A veritable jewel of nature, it's sure to charm all those lucky enough to visit.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Christian for his feedback! To all the crew, thank you for sending us your photos, allowing us to share some of your sailing memories!