CHARTER - MARTINIQUE
JOSEPHINE’S ISLAND
Martinique, island of flowers, of rum and the Yoles Rondes,
Dark blue sea under a brilliantly
74
blue sky, with white cotton puffs
as clouds above and foaming
white spray on the water down
here. The wind pipes up fresh,
coming out of the wide bay of Fort-de-
France. It is a day like a cry of sheer joy.
Flying fish zigzag through the air from one
wave-crest to the next, our catamaran
is on a tight reach and makes ten knots
through the water, driven only by the
reefed main and the small jib. The water
is foaming and hissing between the hulls
while the kids enjoy refreshing salt water
showers on the windward bow, attached
with lifelines and life-vests, greeting each
burst of water with “hoorays”.
Sailing will not become any better than
this. Especially, when on a cruising holiday
with three adults and four small children.
After about one hour, we have passed the
bay and find quieter waters in the lee of
the high coast, where we soon drop our
anchor in the scenic bay of Grande Anse
d’Arlet. Martinique: Island of flowers, rum
and the Yoles Rondes. The flowers thrive
in the tropical climate almost everywhere,
the air shore is sweet and thick with
the scent of the plants, but the tropical
garden Jardin du Balata on the Route
Nationale 3 just north of Fort-de-France
is the most beautiful spot of all.
The rum is another island speciality. Rum
distilleries produce the coveted Martinique
rum, which tastes so different to the cheap
Jamaica blends. The French have even
awarded the rum from Martinique the seal
of “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée”, which
is otherwise only bestowed on French
wines and cheeses of guaranteed quality
and a controlled origin. The distilleries are
scattered over the whole island; you can
visit most of them and taste their products.
Located in the north at Sainte-Marie
is the St. James distillery, whose “Musée
du Rhum” is an additional attraction. On
the east coast at Le François, you can
visit a distillery from the 18th century,
the Domaine of Acajou, and try the locally
produced Rhum Clément. More distilleries
are Bally, Depaz, Dillon, JM Crassous
de Medeuil, La Mauny, Neisson and Trois
Rivières.
The Yoles Rondes, finally, are descendant
of the dugout canoes of the Arawak Indians,
the original inhabitants of Martinique.
Originally these dinghies were used for
fishing, now racing them is more common.
Urged on by the howling of the audience
the narrow, yet more than nine feet long
dinghies are pushed into the water with
strong wooden poles, the helmsman holds
on to the paddle that acts a tiller, two men
in the boat haul in the sheet, the others
climb aboard, slide the poles into their
brackets and cling onto these poles while
is a tiny, exotic piece of France
in the Caribbean. And a fantastic cruising destination.