Summer Sailing in the Caribbean

I have spent very little time in the Caribbean - a few business trips here and there but never a vacation.  So when my racquetball buddy, Joe, asked me in January if I wanted to join him the first week in July on a friend’s 42 foot catamaran based in Martinique, I jumped at the chance.

Would the waters really be the aquamarine blue color one sees in magazine advertisements? Would the trade winds from the East be constant?  Would I spend more time trying to keep afloat while snorkeling than seeing beautifully colored fish swimming between the rocks and coral?

Joe’s friend had purchased his Lagoon 420 three years ago, making a down payment of a portion of the purchase price with the remainder financed under an agreement to allow the boat to be chartered for five years.  Under the deal, the owner is allowed two weeks of “owner’s time” in July - usually too early for the hurricane season in this part of the Caribbean.

We all met in early June at the owner’s home to agree on a list of provisions for the trip, which would be supplied by the charter company, Sparkling Charters.  Since it was a French company, Sparkling Charters gave us a three page list of wine, beer, and      hors d’oeurves before we got to mundane things like cereal, peanut butter and spaghetti. 

We flew from Baltimore to Miami and then on to Fort de France, the capital of Martinique.  A forty-five minute cab ride took us to Le Marin, a small coastal town to the East where Sparkling and other charterers had their boats in slips at a large marina.  It was quite a sight to see so many million dollar sailboats in one place.  Preparations for departure are lengthy.  We had to check that our provisions were correct, confirm the various boating equipment and other items placed on board by Sparkling Charters, and finally check in with customs using an antiquated system previously on paper and now on a very slow computer.

Once under way, daily rhythms begin to change in so many ways.  The movement of the boat is very different from walking on land, so very quickly one becomes conscious of balance and  hand holds. The wind, or lack thereof, is very important, and the options for choosing shade or sun are limited on a boat.  Changes in sky are noticed immediately.  Are the clouds building to the East?  How long before it will rain?   How different it is for us at home where rolling seas are not an issue; winds are not a concern; air conditioning is available; and rain gear is an option if we choose to go outside in threatening weather.

On a clear day one can see St. Lucia from Martinique, a distance of about twenty miles. However, on both of our passages to and from St. Lucia it was hazy, so that after an hour, we thought we were in the open ocean.  Heading south from Martinique the wind was at our back and the sea was relatively calm with waves of 2-3 feet.  On the return trip it was quite different with the wind heading into us and rough seas.

While in St. Lucia, we selected a different harbor each night.  Rodney Bay was a broad crescent with Pigeon Island at one end and hotels and sand beaches at the other.  The inner (protected) portion of the harbor was filled with luxurious sailboats and was bordered on one side by expensive private homes.   Marigot Bay was a deep sliver, a perfect “hurricane hole” with beautifully designed homes on the hillsides and one of the home bases for another large charter company, Moorings.  Our final harbor was at the town of Soufriere, also the home of Gros Piton and Petit Piton, two very impressive volcanic mountains at the south end of the Bay.

At our various stops, we hiked, snorkeled, visited botanical gardens, swam in warm sulfur springs, and tasted the some of the best local rum.  The weather was very pleasant - around 85 degrees and usually with a good breeze.  Evening were cooler and it rained for an hour or so every night around 2:00 a.m.

As with every adventure, things can happen.  Our dingy motor was very uncertain and finally stopped operating at the very end of the trip.  Two days before returning to Martinique, the main halyard snapped as we were raising the mainsail.  Our refrigerators were very unpredictable when it came to making ice, creating great anxiety as to whether would would have our rum and coke at cocktail time.

I am beginning to think that we should block out some Caribbean sailing time for July 2013.