Sailing with the Treleavens - Exploring Martinique

by Andrea and Ian Treleaven on 24 Feb 2008 Andrea and Ian Treleaven, on their yacht Finisterre, after crossing the Atlantic, are waiting for their mast to be replaced. In the meantime they are motoring in the vicinity of the French Island of Martinique in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean.

With our wings still clipped we have become the cruisers who live aboard, stay in one bay for 2 weeks and idly pass the time. Anse Mitan is across the bay from Fort de France on ‘Point du Bout’ with very beautiful beaches, resorts and village ashore. As we sit and ‘wait for our ship to come in’ we read, meet locals that include the visiting Europeans staying in the resorts and plan our next 3 years.

A very good service here in Martinique is the SOS medical service for yachts. Another reason to slow down, as we are not immune to getting sick, I have had to use this service twice. The second time we called the Doctor he was waiting at the dock 10 minutes later, anyway nothing too serious, just a virus that took time to get over.

Getting Ian to sit on the beach, relax and do nothing has never been easier. Settling into the resort beach area Ian has no problem watching the topless models parading their beach wear. Also one two many mojito’s but many memorable moments are spent with Geordie and Patricia Burnett-Stuart on 'La Pontoon’ and ‘Cape Finisterre’. By coincidence it turns out they are farming neighbours of my relations in Scotland. Thankfully they went home after a few days having made friends for life.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]In walking distance is The Pagerie Estate Museum an 18th century sugar plantation which was also birth place of the Empress Josephine. Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine in 1796. The charming stone cottage, garden and ruins of a sugar mill set in the lush green tranquil countryside filled in another day for us. Throughout the island you are constantly reminded of the Empress of France. Josephine had two children by a previous marriage and had no children with Napoleon bur her daughter married Napoleon's brother. Their son Louis went on to take the French throne as Napoleon III in 1852.

Slavery is another part of their history, abolished in 1848, but little remains of this grim lifestyle of yesteryear. We visited the Museum in Fort de France and the Savane des Esclaves a typical village for slaves but still very little is said about the injustices.

Settlers planted sugar cane plantations and this then led to the slavery trade in the 16th century. Known as the triangle trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas, several millions slaves were imported and became victims of the slave trade to the New World Plantations. At one time slaves outnumbered the colonials in Martinique but thanks to the abolition this remains a dark milestone in their history.

Bringing the last two paragraphs together it’s of interest that slavery was abolished in 1794 while under English rule. In 1802 Martinique was restored to the French and Napoleon and Josephine reintroduced slavery.



On Wednesday night the 21st, was the Total Luna Eclipse of the Moon here in the Caribbean. What makes this a one time event for the next millennium is the accompanying Saturn and star Regulus in Leo. The night was clear and the moon took on a coppery glow but photographing the event was difficult. Having dinner on board ‘Intrepid’ with Keith and Caryl Turner from Wellington New Zealand, we all tried but of course the constant rock of the boat made this impossible.

You wouldn’t believe it but now we have a strike in the port of Fort de France. The ship with out new mast on board has arrived and we can see her across the bay but the locals are saying it’s going to be a long strike. We are waiting on any news but we are told that the mast may even be off loaded on another island.



“Happy little campers”!!!!!!!!!!