Martinique Strike

[Hud3]

Billyehh,

Thanks for the update. Where was the barricade and car fire? BTW, I've never found the Customs office in Desahies to be open, although the Douane (Customs) boat will sometimes patrol the area and hail you to check you out.

[billyehh]

Hud: I'm in a bar at Falmouth Harbour and I don't have my charts. It is asmall bay about 6 miles north of Basse Terre and before Cousteau Marine Park. I belive it is the only bay that has a light. Could be Anse D'arlett but I' m not sure

[Hud3]

That sounds like Anse a la Barque, where all the fishermen keep their pirogues moored. It has a little white lighthouse right on the shore there, and a yellow and black one on the point, if I recall correctly. Thanks, I was curious where the ruckus was.

BTW, a bar in Falmouth Harbour isn't a bad place to be! Are you planning to come to Nevis? We have bars here, too!

[osirissail]

I have seen those Updates from the minister of Tourism and they are definitely something from Walt Disney World. If you look at the British Newspapers and European tourist agent news sites you will see that there have been over 10,000 cancellations of vacationers this month and now more cancellations stretching all the way to June.
The British newspaper sites report that in Guadeloupe all tourists have been advised to not leave their hotels and the French police at busing tourists from their hotels in armored trucks with battering rams to get them to the airport so they can leave. The situation yesterday was charactized as virtual civil war based on race with white tourist being targeted.
In Martinique the situation seems to be much calmer according to the new reports but with most stores, facilities and governmental agencies shut down.
Down here in Grenada/Grenadines we are getting a lot of French flagged boats from those islands arriving to hunker down until this ends. Historically this strikes all end sometime or other but sooner would be much better than latter. Naturally the extreme problems are centered around the biggest population centers, but since most supplies to the outlying areas come from those centers, so everything slows down or shuts down.
Luckily the weather has be yucky with big seas and winds so waiting to head north is not so bad.
It would be great to get more "one the spot" reports from anybody in Cul-de-Sac Marin; Anse Mitan; Iles des Saintes; and Deshaies to get the "rest of the story".

[billyehh]

Hud: you are right on. Just takes a little to jog my memory. I won't be in Nevis on my way north, but it is on my schedule formy return trip from the BVI's to Grenada.

[Ladislav]

Hello all on this forum,
Im new here and registered, because have read articles about Martinique and the situation there. We have already rent (chartered) a yacht in Martinique, from march 2.nd 2009 and now must make a decision to travel there or not. What is your reccommendation to go there or cancel it all?
Thanks, Ladislav.

[markpj23]

Originally Posted by Ladislav

Hello all on this forum,
Im new here and registered, because have read articles about Martinique and the situation there. We have already rent (chartered) a yacht in Martinique, from march 2.nd 2009 and now must make a decision to travel there or not. What is your reccommendation to go there or cancel it all?
Thanks, Ladislav.

IMHO I'd check with the charter company and get their take on things. Then I'd take that with a little salt.

It comes down to what your "adventure quotient" is. Are you arriving at night? Are you familiar with the island? etc......

[MeganM]

Hi There....Anyone have an update on Martinique? Anyone know someone who lives there for an on-the-ground report? I have always dreamed of going there and was scheduled to arrive two days ago but have held off. We are in St. Lucia now, planning to sail to Dominica but want to see if there is any chance of stopping in Martinique? What a legacy the "Discovery" of these islands has left behind...

[Ladislav]

No answer from charter company. Arrival at night. First time on Martinique. The charter company promise to arrange the transport from airport to marina. Adventure quotient - good question...

[Peter Kafer]

We left Anse Mitan a week ago after spending a week or 10 days on Martinique. We had looked forward to going to French supermarket to provision--bread, cheese, sausage, olives, meat, etc. When we arrived at Marin, the market was closing, the next day, it was closed due to the strike. Also, when we arrived, customs was closed due to the strike but open the next day. We didn't really want to stay at Marin and proceeded to Anse Mitan. The grocery store was bare! Then, it was closed. Several restaurants were open but then gangs of strikers forcibly closed them. They were open the next day as were all the tourist shops. Clearing in and out is no longer possible at Anse Mitan due to the destruction caused by a hurricane a couple of years ago. We tried to rent a car, but the rental companies either had no cars or no gas. People were lined up for miles and waited all day to buy 20 euros worth of gas. We finally found a taxi driver who agreed to take us to Ft de France. The city was entirely closed except for pharmacies and bakeries (apparently bread is as important as medicine!). The city market was also open and Sea Services was shuttered but open for clearing in and out. We returned to St Lucia where there is a steady stream of boats from Martinique carrying people with jerry cans for fuel and who flock to the supermarkets to shop (and believe me, provisioning on St Lucia is is no picnic).

Peter
s/v Now or Never!

[amytom]

Originally Posted by Ladislav

No answer from charter company. Arrival at night. First time on Martinique. The charter company promise to arrange the transport from airport to marina. Adventure quotient - good question...

For me it would depend on who else was going; my brothers and a bunch of old Navy buddies, sure no problem; my family, no way.

[billyehh]

From my experience 1 to 2 weeks ago, you would be all right if you were completely self contained and only wanted to walk about during the daytime. At that time there was no overt violence against tourists. However do not expect any attractions to be open, by now the dive shops will not ave any gas for their boats, and there is no public transportation. I repeat, if you cannot carry enough fuel water and provisions for the entire trip, don't go

[osirissail]

I emailed the port captain in Marin yesterday and he replied that although his area is calm with no violence all the grocery stores and most other stores are closed. A few restaurants open for a couple of hours for lunch he said but otherwise everything is shut down. If you are not totally self-sufficient with fuel, food and supplies it would not be any fun stopping there.
Does anybody have any reports on Iles des Saintes?

[Troutbridge]

I spoke with a friend who is in Le Marin (on his boat) this morning 25th Feb: No violence, most of the chandlers are open, restaurants open most of the time and supermarkets occasionally open. Fuel is expected on thursday. ATM machines still out of cash. His advice was stock up, have full fuel and water and it seems OK. I'm planning on going up (from St Lucia) this weekend. If I get wifi I'll 'report back'.

[osirissail]

I heard on the SSB net this morning that most cruiser ports like Marin, Iles des Saintes and Deshaies are now returning back to somewhat normal with stores and restaurants opening. On the news the wages part of the strikers demands have been met but the prices of food and fuel is still being argued.
So maybe the outlying areas are settling down but still the food and fuel has to come through the big city ports so supplies might be scarce for awhile more.