We managed a great sail with perfect conditions and got there in three hours. We did motor a bit more than we would normally when entering the bay but we did want to see how the prop was holding up. Fine as it turns out!
First off, a bit of vanity with a beautiful boat anchored in the shadow of Mont Pelee.
St. Pierre has an interesting history. It was the first settlement on Martinique by Europeans. As ever, they wiped out the local Carib population of course. Over the centuries, it changed from being a privateer community to one for merchants and farmers. Sugar grew very well in the fertile volcanic soil and the town prospered. Disaster however struck in 1902 when the mountain erupted with great violence. According to the cruising guide, the local population were very loth to evacuate the town both because of an incomplete understanding of what a volcano could do and also because they did not want to give up their profitable plantations. As a result, nearly thirty thousand people were killed and only two people survived, one an inmate of the prison.
The town has now been rebuilt but it is not the capital any more which has moved to Fort de France. It is however, a delightful small town with spectacular scenery and a nice atmosphere. The anchorage is a little tricky as the bottom slopes steeply but we didn't have too much trouble with the anchor.
We could easily have spent a lot longer but time is pressing and we need to get further north ready for the return passage across the Atlantic. Therefore, after three nights we got up at the ungodly hour of 0400 to head to Dominica. We had a great reach across the straits between the two islands but then lost the wind behind Dominica. The best anchorage is Prince Rupert Bay right at the northern end which made for a longer sail - 53 miles which is why we had such an early start.
We are now in the process of settling into a new island and will of course be boring all our readers with our experiences here soon.
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