PART TWO St Martin

as I was saying It was late in the afternoon when I arrived in Marigot. 

There is a big breakwater there and I tucked in on the lee side along with some other cruisers.  Marigot is a bustling little town and I could see small vans and cars wheeling alongside the boulevard next to the shore.  After dinner I sat in the cockpit listening to a live band playing African/ reggae music.  I was still too tired to make the trip in so elected to lie in my berth and listen there.  Probably heard all of two songs before drifting off.

 

Next morning caught the broadcaste of the local cruisers net and got some good info on clearing in procedures.  Apparently the fees for this can vary depending on which office you go to. I ended up taking the boat through the draw bridge on the French side and anchored in teh laggoon early in the morning.  When I found the harbor master I was able to clear in the most painless manner I have yet to encounter in this whole trip.  I was directed to a computor terminal where after entering the relevent information, pressed print, another guy stamped it, I turned over $6 US and I was on my way.  I couldn't believe it. 

 

The rest of the day I was going to devote to riding the bus over the Dutch side to check on hauling out supplies and that took most of the day.  I did get a chance though to check out Phillipsburg and Cole Bay.  Iwas not impressed with either.  The former has sold its sole to the cruise ships making all the colonial dutch archetecture marred by sign advertising duty free this and duty free that.  The later is alot of strip development. I did get some supplies and stopped at a famous watering hole in Cole Bay called Tuppers.  Met some funny Brazilians off a mega yacht and they remosed over their lose in the World Cup.  Of course they got no sympathy from the Brits at the bar.

 

Finally after a grueling taxi ride back to Marigot; by the way take the bus, the taxis, though more numerous can be packed with people who are not particularly friendly and in need of a shower.  Back to the boat for the night.

 

Up early and through the bridge.  While I did some much accumilated laundry the Fort Louis marina, I walked about marigot.  Its a shopping tourist town though with a little more class.  First of all its not as congested with watch and jewelry shops.  Alot of small cafes and well known French restaurents along the boulevards or 'rue de' and 'rue dat'.  Trees and narrow pedestrian alleys too.  Everyone I met there was very French and friendly too.  The pilot book called it a little piece of the French Riviera.

Around noon I got back to the boat and after some lunch, pulled up the anchor and motored up to another recomended spot, Frere's Bay.  Small and reasonably sheltered I anchored and spent the day swimming, watching the cup with some French guys (go netherlands!) and just chilled, joining some of the other sunbathers who were also topless.  I could get used to this.  Tomorrow will continue my clockwise circumnavigation of the island starting first thing in the morning......