We Only Planned ONE DAY Here… But Couldn't Leave! | Sailing Martinique E403

After exploring the volcanic history of Saint Pierre, Alex, Cory, and their children Coral and Kai dropped anchor off Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, intending to stay for a single day aboard SV Wildly Intrepid. Before the crew of Wildly Intrepid Sailing had even tied their dinghy to the seawall near the fort, Coral spotted a waterfront playground—setting the tone for an unplanned multi-day city stop.

As Alex observed upon stepping ashore, “What was supposed to be a quick day stop turns into a few days of exploring this colorful town.” With Coral and Kai eager to put on their backpacks and explore, the family slowed their schedule to match the pace of cruising with young kids. “Traveling with two young ones has taught us to slow down and not set a tight timeline,” Alex noted while the children played overlooking the anchorage where their boat rode at anchor.

Exploring Fort-de-France Landmarks and Markets

Walking into the busy downtown grid, Alex and Cory remarked that Fort-de-France was the largest city they had visited since Charlotte Amalie. Following the 1902 eruption of Mont Pelée that devastated Saint Pierre, Fort-de-France transitioned from a purely administrative capital into Martinique’s primary economic and urban center. The city blends French bakeries and cafés with colorful streets and Creole culture, allowing the crew to pick up 1 euro chocolate-filled bread and almond pastry cake as they walked.

Their walking tour took them past three standout structures in the city center:

• Bibliothèque Schoelcher: A public library originally constructed in Paris, dismantled, shipped across the Atlantic, and reassembled in Fort-de-France, where the crew also found welcome public restrooms.
• Cathédrale St. Louis: Built around an internal metal framework rather than traditional stone masonry so the cathedral could survive the fires, earthquakes, and hurricanes that had destroyed earlier churches on the site.
• Marché Couvert: A lively covered market where the family picked up fresh produce and chocolate pastries for Coral, discovering some of the lowest grocery prices they had encountered since St. Martin.

Hurricane Season Provisioning at Ecomax and the Pixel Hunt

With hurricane season approaching and the family planning to head south toward Grenada—where groceries are more expensive and harder to source—Alex and Cory decided to stay several days in Fort-de-France to load SV Wildly Intrepid with dry goods. Dividing duties proved far more efficient: Alex stayed by the waterfront with Coral and Kai so the children could ride their scooters along the flat paths near Fort Saint Louis, an active French naval installation, while Cory tackled a solo provisioning run.

Inside a local shopping mall and at the large Ecomax supermarket—recommended by locals as one of the cheapest grocery options in Martinique—Cory loaded up on heavy non-perishable supplies. “Well, I got a lot of groceries. My back’s hurting,” Cory said after hauling the load back toward the waterfront.

At the same time, the crew searched store after store for a replacement cell phone. Finding a Google Pixel proved frustrating: shops that listed the phone had none in stock, local retail prices were far higher than back home in Canada, and shipping one into Martinique would add roughly $400 in shipping fees and import taxes. On a final grocery run to the mall, the family brought Coral and Kai along to ride the elevator, climb inside a small display airplane, and work out on the exercise equipment in the green park beside Fort Saint Louis. Before departing, their persistence finally paid off. “This is crazy. We’ve just been like looking all over the place for way too long and Google Pixel is not a thing here, but we did find one,” Cory reported.

Beating Adverse Current to Petite Anse d’Arlet

Although Fort-de-France was convenient for shopping and buying gifts, constant ferry traffic made the daytime anchorage rolly. Raising anchor under sail, the crew pointed SV Wildly Intrepid south for the short passage of under 8 miles to Petite Anse d’Arlet. Despite a steady breeze, a strong opposing current turned the coastal hop into a slow grind that felt like a washing machine.

“There’s so much current here. We’re like going super slow. Two knots, three knots. But there’s a lot of wind, let’s say 18 knots of wind.”

Cory aboard SV Wildly Intrepid

Dropping the hook off the fishing village of Petite Anse d’Arlet brought a quiet contrast to the capital. Ashore, the family cracked open sour local fruit that tasted like a cross between tamarind and lemon. Getting back into the dinghy off the beach proved tricky in a big swell that left Kai’s clothes completely soaked. Although they had only planned an overnight stay before continuing south, both children came down with an illness. “We end up spending an extra day here with Kai and Coral being sick,” Alex noted, delaying their departure until the kids recovered.

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