Up early as usual, even Christy getting up in the sixes these days. Despite a pretty windy anchorage, it is not too rolly or uncomfortable for sleeping. To say there is a refreshing breeze is a bit of an understatement but we reflect it is no worse than Woburn Bay and probably better than there when the wind really blows.
I am not going to let this anchor light problem go on, I’m determined to find the problem today. First thing is to identify which wire is which where they exit the salon before they go up the mast. By tugging wires with me on the outside and Christy on the inside, we are able to identify which is which.
The Old TV antenna is actually broken right off on top so no matter whether I was right or wrong about it, it doesn’t work so I am ripping out the 20 feet of coax cable that is a rat’s nest in the ceiling. That takes quite a while actually, it’s a gordian knot of wires, have to McGiver a wire hook and untangle/untie until I can get it out. Very happy to do so.
OK, so now what is wrong with the anchor light? What is this piece of electrical tape wrapped around the wire on the outside? Unravel it and lo, the wire sheathing is scored and underneath there is nothing but rusted, rotten wires. Houston, we have contact. I cut it, resplice it though it is too windy for my little butane torch to heat shrink the connections. I’ll do that when we get a calm moment in the marina. But I think that’s it.
BTW, that was it.
I don’t know what the wires on the bottom of that pic do, as far as I know everything is working and of those two wires, the power side is connected below, but the ground is not so whatever it is, it ain’t getting power. I will try and see where it goes the next time I’m up the mast.
To everyone’s satisfaction, I close up the ceiling in the salon. There are a few wires that could be pulled out but for now, there is no harm there.
We while away most of the morning and eventually dinghy into the Pointe du Bout, we enter on the “creole” side instead of by the dinghy dock which is quite a ways away. Lots of locals around today enjoying the beach, some having family bbqs. We throw the little anchor out behind the dinghy and tie around a tree. Nothing to lock to, but we take the keys.
We walk around a bit. I see some rather ancient looking steps to nowhere and for fun we walk up them. We know the point goes out into the bay and there is a walk but we don’t know what’s out there. The path is very nice, flat, easy, then suddenly there is the ancient fortification in the jungle jumps right out at you. It is pretty interesting, seems a mix of very old (1700s) not so old (WW2) and modern (1970s) renos. There are old WW2 guns, the early walls look very old and there appears to have been an attempt to make a theatre in the heart of the installation sometime in the past 40 years or so. Now it is overgrown and run down but people are wandering around, it is pretty interesting.
Perhaps the most unusual thing about this place is the complete lack of information about it anywhere. This is the next day and I’m trying to get some detail and there is nothing. Zero online, zero in our guidebook. A couple of images online but no mention of what looks like a pretty interesting history. You would think the local Chamber of Commerce would promote the place.
Nope. I googled everything I could find to try and get some history but there is nothing.
We walk back the long way, checking out the car rental places as this might be a decent spot to base from when Scott and Carol are here. They’re all closed of course but at least we know where they are. The trick would be finding parking for the night, the area we are in officially only allows 90 minutes of parking at a time.
Back to the beach. It’s hot, Christy goes for a little dip, I refrain as I don’t really care to get wet and salty. Dinghy back to Milu where it is nice and cool.
Maybe a little snooze in the cockpit.
Not long before the rain clouds come in, I cover up my anchor light patch so it doesn’t get wet, then retire down below. Later on that night I come out for a pee, the lights of Fort de France are really quite beautiful with a near-full moon out, even with the disco going faintly in the background from Anse Mitan.
