From Sea to Summit: Sailing Martinique & Climbing Mount Pelée

At 1:00 in the afternoon, Connor and the family crew aboard their Vision 444 catamaran, Sailing Big Lost, haul anchor off Saint-Pierre to begin a 2-hour coastal motor down the leeward coast of Martinique to Fort-de-France. Cruising alongside their buddy boat Mistra, the crew plans to secure provisions, sort out inland transport, and stage an ascent of the volcanic peak towering over the northern horizon.

While Saint-Pierre sits directly below Mount Pelée, inland road access makes renting an automobile in Fort-de-France the most practical approach for reaching the higher trailheads. Clearing the anchorage requires careful maneuvering through local traffic, with Alice pointing out a small monohull off the starboard bow so Connor can maintain safe clearance before settling into the southbound transit.

Ascending Mount Pelée

By 8:00 in the morning, the family departs Big Lost at anchor and heads inland in a rental car, navigating an hour of tight switchbacks on French mountain roads. Mount Pelée stands 1,397 meters (4,583 feet) above sea level, anchoring the northern spine of Martinique. The volcano carries a severe history: its catastrophic eruption on May 8, 1902, obliterated the historic maritime capital of Saint-Pierre, claiming over 30,000 lives and sinking nearly 400 vessels anchored in the bay during the deadliest volcanic disaster of the 20th century. The peak last erupted in 1932, leaving dormant ridges covered in dense green vegetation.

Setting out along the trail with buddy-boat crews and children—including Maddie, Sage, Finn, and Tucker—the group negotiates steep, muddy switchbacks across the mountain saddle. Maddie maintains her pace despite feeling under the weather the previous day, pausing with the kids to inspect trailside snails. As the slope steepens into slippery rock scrambles, the tropical heat gives way to brisk elevation. Reaching the rim, thick cloud cover blankets the crater floor, replacing panoramic island vistas with dense mist and chilly alpine winds. Taking in the sudden temperature drop, one of the crew remarks, “It’s like nature’s air conditioner up here.” Looking out at the 1,397-meter crest, another family member observes, “This is the elevation of our house back home in Idaho.”

Downwind Run to Petite Anse d’Arlet

Returning to sea level, Big Lost departs Fort-de-France to round the southwestern headland toward Petite Anse d’Arlet and Saint Anne. Hoisting canvas off the point, the catamaran enters ideal downwind conditions. Running under sail at 8 knots, instruments register 14 knots of apparent wind, 18 knots of true wind, and a true wind angle of 70°. Sailing in company with Mistra, Connor monitors the mainsail trim closely as the boom eases out toward the standing rigging. Spotting the cloth brushing against the stays, Connor trims the sheet, noting that “this back stay was touching the sail up there, and that’s not good. It would chafe.” Once Connor flattens the sail off the wire, the cloth clears the stay, preserving the mainsail fabric during the broad reach into Petite Anse d’Arlet.

Starboard Raw Water Pump Replacement

Once anchored off the colorful village of Petite Anse d’Arlet, routine engine room checks uncover saltwater leakage on the starboard auxiliary engine. The raw water cooling pump has developed a seal leak directly above the serpentine drive belts and electrical charging gear. Salt crust on the bronze alternator wheel indicates brine spray has already begun reaching rotating machinery. Although the leak appears minor, allowing saltwater to drip across hot engine components invites rapid corrosion and belt degradation. Explaining the immediate repair, the crew notes that “it wasn’t bad, but we don’t want it leaking salt water all over the rest of our engine and belt.”

Connor removes the failing unit from the front of the engine block and bolts on their replacement raw water pump. Installing the component exhausts their onboard spare parts inventory for cooling pumps. With another replacement pump awaiting collection in Grenada, the crew retains the removed unit with plans to source fresh bearings and rebuild the mechanical seals at an upcoming port.

Recorded Passage and Climb Metrics

Navigating Coastal Pot Traps to Le Marin

An uncomfortable ocean swell sets into Petite Anse d’Arlet overnight, causing severe motion across the anchorage. While the wide beam of the catamaran dampens the roll, buddy boat Mistra pitches violently side-to-side through the night. Eager for calmer waters, the fleet weighs anchor for a 2-hour motor covering 13 nautical miles down to Saint Anne and Le Marin for final provisioning prior to the passage south to Grenada.

The coastal waters of the Eastern Caribbean present constant grounding and fouling hazards from artisanal fishing gear. Submerged fish traps sit marked only by weathered, faded plastic Coke bottles floating flush with the water surface. With Connor at the helm, a spotter remains posted on the bow, calling out visual bearings to weave the catamaran clear of floating polypropylene lines and protect the twin rudders, sail drives, and propellers from dangerous entanglement.

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