Ystafell

From the Bahamas to Martinique

It really does seem as though the crew of Ystafell have a taste for sailing upwind! We last left them in the San Blas: since then, Cathy and Fanch have worked their way up the Caribbean Sea, tacking all the way to Jamaica, before discovering the very chic Bahamas. Now they’re heading south through the Caribbean again… Still upwind, of course…

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Published on 30/09/2026

Issue: 210

Published: Dec. / Jan. 2026

Discover this issue

Who: Cathy and Fanch
Where: Between the Bahamas and Martinique
Multihull: Katalu 42
Blog: www.ystafell.fr

We returned to Georgetown and its stores, where the cost of living is noticeably higher than elsewhere in the Caribbean. We spent two days anchored off the town to make the most of its amenities, then headed across to anchor off Stocking Island. The beach was magnificent; there were rays everywhere and the atmosphere was great. When the strong winds finally eased, we moved on to a splendid beach in the middle of the marine park. We were welcomed by two nurse sharks, rays and dolphins. We had the place entirely to ourselves. But our main concern at this point was the weather. We had 760 miles to cover to reach St. Martin, which meant five to six days at sea, and it wasn’t going to be straightforward: the wind would generally be on the nose, or light, or too strong toward the end. It’s that or… nothing better. Okay then, we’ll take it. We set off in a light northeasterly. Two days under power: Cathy was delighted, the sea was flat and she took advantage of the conditions to make us crêpes and pizzas. The crew accepted their fate with good grace. We lived in the cockpit. We ate there, slept there, read there and stood our watches there. They really were two very pleasant days and nights.

Then the wind returned, mostly from the east. Close-hauled. We were pounding into it. It wasn’t comfortable, we knew that, so we gritted our teeth. To make matters worse, a front was coming down from the north. Goodbye sleep, goodbye our nice average speed, goodbye home-cooked meals. The high command convened and decided to put an end to our suffering with a restorative overnight stop at Anegada in the British Virgin Islands.
We set off again early the next morning, refreshed, and headed for St. Martin, where some cruising friends were waiting for us at anchor in Grand Case. It’s a large bay, well sheltered from northeasterly winds, and the village is very pleasant. There are plenty of little lolos – the local food shacks – restaurants, convenience stores, the Chinese store and its competitor… another Chinese store. In short, everything needed to keep a sailor with an empty galley happy. Better still, our friends had the excellent idea of renting a car, giving us access to the local supermarkets as well as the duty-free chandleries. With all our shopping done, there was nothing keeping us in Grand Case, and the little island of Tintamarre, north of St. Martin, was calling us. What a great idea! Two hours later and we were in paradise. Around fifteen free mooring buoys were waiting for us, while ashore there was a beautiful beach equipped with tables, benches and barbecues.
We set off for St. Barth and, after a short stop in the town, headed for Anse du Gouverneur, followed by the much quieter Anse du Colombier. Then we set course for Les Saintes. The angle was acceptable, so we could actually sail. Close-hauled, admittedly, but we were making progress and, in the lee of the islands, the sea was calmer. On reaching Les Saintes, we picked up a mooring right in front of the town before setting off again for Sainte-Anne, Martinique. In this beautiful bay, almost nothing has changed. We immediately felt at home again. Our Atlantic loop was complete. We were back here nine years after leaving. I haven’t yet worked out exactly how many miles we’ve covered, but it must be close to 60,000.