Three Day Sail from BVI to Martinique: Caribbean Passage Adventures.

Three Day Sail from BVI to Martinique: Caribbean Passage Adventures, Dolphins in the Dark, and Endless French Baguettes

Oh my gosh, darlings, if you thought waving goodbye to the British Virgin Islands was emotional, try turning that into a full blown three day sailing passage from BVI to Martinique! Picture this: me (well, not literally me, but you get the vibe), bleary eyed at dawn, engines rumbling, toasting the BVI with a dramatic wave like I’m in some epic farewell scene, my hair definitely looked like one had styled it.

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We opted for the classic Leeward Islands route down the chain, because who doesn’t love a bit of island hopping drama? It was your typical up and down Caribbean sailing affair: rolly seas, trade winds playing hide and seek, and me clutching my wine glass like it was the last life raft. (Pro tip for your yacht cruising Caribbean dreams: good wine makes everything feel slightly less bouncy.)

We were so close, tantalisingly close, when the wind just… vanished around Guadeloupe. Poof. Like Mother Nature decided we’d had enough fun. Then, in that sneaky gap between Guadeloupe and Dominica, the breeze kicked back in with a vengeance, turning everything choppy and exhilarating again. By 21:20, smack in the middle off Dominica, wind gone once more. Flat calm, pitch black, engines humming.

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And that’s when it happened. I hear this splash, not wave-ish, proper mysterious, port side. Then starboard. I’m pacing like a madwoman between rails. Ian (bless him, supposed to be asleep) pops up: “Why are you doing laps?” Me: “There’s something out there!” Him: “It’s waves.” Me: “No, darling, it’s different!”

Cue the most magical midnight visitor squad: a pod of dolphins! We couldn’t see them (it was darker than a dragon’s lair), but oh, we heard them, clicking, splashing, playing in the bow wave like they owned the place. They adore engine noise, apparently. Finally seeing (well, hearing) dolphins again after ages? Pure joy. My heart did a little flip. If that’s not the highlight of a BVI to Martinique passage, I don’t know what is.

A few hours later, ETA Saint-Pierre just after sunrise around 8am. Land ho! But is there rest after a multi-day sail? Ha! No chance. Straight to check-in, then the sacred pilgrimage: fresh French baguettes and proper French butter. We dinghied back to the boat for a glorious day of chilling, swimming, and pretending we weren’t still rocking from phantom swells.

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Next day? Sailed south along the coast to Les Anses-d’Arlet, one of those dreamy Martinique anchorages with crystal water and chill vibes. Met up with friends who actually live on the island (lucky them), caught up over stories and laughs. Then onward to Le Marin, the yachting hub of dreams. Stocked up on more baguettes (priorities!), provisions galore, because Ian’s mum was jetting in soon for some Caribbean family time.

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Checked out of Martinique, then treated ourselves to a lazy 24 hours in Le Marin: swimming, napping, soaking up that French Caribbean magic. Finally, off for an overnight sail to St. Lucia, dropping anchor in our absolute favourite, Marigot Bay (yes, the stunning one that’s basically paradise enclosed by hills, famous from films and all that jazz). A couple of blissful days there: lounging by the pool at the fancy hotel (shh, we pretended we belonged), cocktails, zero agenda. Perfection.

It was time to set sail to Bequia, as Ian’s mom is arriving in 48 hours. Until Next time.

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