Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - December 2021

CRUISES WITHIN BORDERS
Let’s Do
the FRENCH
Islands!
by David H. Lyman
A romp through the Leeward and Windward Islands
will be different this year. Gone are the devil-may-care
days we use to have. Yes, things have changed here.
to the Leeward and Windward Islands. “You could
spend a month cruising in just Guadeloupe and the
Saints,” he told me. “The west side of Guadeloupe has
three anchorages, then there’s the Saints, Marie-
Galante, and the small island of Ile de la Petite Terre.
Of course there’s the whole north sound, too, with lots
of coves and anchorages.” You could indeed spend a
month cruising Guadeloupe. Be sure to have the Doyle
guides on board, both the Leeward and Windward
Islands, as they will complete my ever-so-brief
introduction here. (I recorded my Zoom conversation
with Chris and it’s available on Youtube at “Sailing
with David Lyman.”)
You could spend the entire winter wandering among
the French islands. I spent three months there in
2020, just before Covid struck.
Passage tips
If you are coming south from the BVI head for
Deshaies at the northern tip of Guadeloupe. It’s 200
Above: Up in the mountains of Guadeloupe there are cascading rivers and brooks and pools for swimming.
Below: Ste. Anne is so nice that there are usually more than 200 boats at anchor.
ALL PHOTOS: DAVID H. LYMAN
are bare spots so make sure the anchor is well dug in.
It’s so nice here there are usually more than 200 boats
at anchor. I counted them. There’s a substantial
dinghy dock ashore, which can be jam-packed. This
sleepy, two-street town has a few cafés, bars,
restaurants, a boulangerie, two small grocery stores,
an open-air market, fish market, and an ATM. WiFi
costs you a beer or lunch.
There’s a Cub Med nearby, with a long beach
crowded with French vacationers. To the west of the
village are more secluded beaches and trails. There are
reefs for snorkeling within dinghy distance. There is a
zigzag pathway up the hill behind the village that
follows the Stations of the Cross, with a stone
monument at each turn depicting Christ’s ordeal. At
the top you are met by a concrete cell tower building,
but turn and look back out over the roadstead filled
with white yachts glistening in the sun. It’s inspiring.
There are no marine services, no water, fuel, or boat
parts in Ste. Anne. All that is found a few miles farther
into the Cul-de-sac du Marin, one of the largest
recreational marine complexes in the Caribbean. Here
there are a large fuel dock, marinas, charter fleets,
ships stores, chandleries, supermarkets, repair yards,
and every service you could want. It’s better if you
speak French.
St. Pierre
Heading north along the coast of Martinique are two
more small anchorages, then the large port city of Fort
de France, a bustling hub of commercial activity.
There are lots of anchorages in Fort de France Bay,
but I’d scoot north up the coast to St. Pierre. It’s only
30 miles from Ste. Anne, a day sail — well, a motorsail,
as there’s little wind in the lee of the big island.
Above: St. Pierre sits at the foot of Mount Pelée,
a (hopefully) dormant volcano.
Below: Café in Le Marin. Le Marin is a dinghy ride
away from Ste. Anne.
DECEMBER 2021 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 15
Before heading south to the islands in November, I
got in touch with a friend down there, Larry Tyler.
Larry has been chartering The Dove, his 54-foot
cutter, in the islands for 30 years, and he’s still at it.
I found Larry and his mate, Justyna, in Trinidad
getting The Dove ready for the charter season. I asked
what would be his recommendations for cruising the
islands this winter.
He wrote back, “The islands I will visit this
coming season are the French islands.” That I
knew would include the French side of St. Martin,
St. Barts, Guadeloupe and Martinique. “And they
don’t charge you and arm and a leg to enter or
drop the hook. Lots of islands and anchorages to
explore.” Good.
I also called Chris Doyle, who writes the guidebooks
miles, a day and a half sail, to this very French harbor
village. If coming south from St. Barts, another French
island, it’s only 115 miles, a long day’s beat to this
small port tucked in between two cliffs.
If you’ve just arrived in Rodney Bay on the ARC, you
can head south or north. From St. Lucia south, it’s
only 75 miles to Bequia, where you can clear in and
begin your exploration of the Grenadines. But, if you
head north, from Rodney Bay it’s only 20 miles to the
open roadstead of Ste. Anne, a small French village
along the beach at the southern tip of Martinique. You
can be there for lunch.
• MARTINIQUE
Ste. Anne
Let me tell you about Ste. Anne. The roadstead is
easy to enter and the holding ground is good, but there
The anchorage along this beach town is a narrow
shelf that extends 500 feet from shore and then drops
off, way off. If there’s a northerly swell running this will
be an uncomfortable anchorage. If not, take the dinghy
into the substantial town wharf. If you’re clearing in
here, the Customs and Immigration office is a computer
in the building with the clock. It’s a DIY process.
There’s a farmer’s market on the plaza, and the street
is lined with stores, restaurants and residents.
St. Pierre sits at the foot of Mount Pelée, a (hopefully)
dormant volcano. It last blew its top in 1902, wiping
out 30,000 residents. Its summit is usually capped
with a plume of clouds, but the hike to the top is
rewarding. From there you see (once below the clouds)
the whole island before you to the south. Patchwork
agricultural fields give way to rainforest jungles that
climb into the rising mountains. Rent a car in St.
Pierre and spend a day or two exploring this island.
The roads are better than on many Caribbean islands,
as France still owns her Caribbean colonies and
spends lavishly on their infrastructure.
Up in the mountains there are waterfalls, cascading
rivers and brooks, and pools for swimming. Along the
coast, you’ll find villages with sidewalk cafés. You
could be on the French Riviera.
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