Saint Martin – the French side of the island – on Wednesday 19th, I left Groot Baai and sailed west along the coast, around the corner and up the northwest coast into French territory. Destination was Baie de Grande Case, a perfect sheltered bay towards the north of the island. Not far: the journey was 17 nautical miles and took me just over 3 hours.

Sailing around an island is interesting – you get strange wind patterns, especially when the island is pretty mountainous like this one. Under full sail, at one point I was doing only 3.2 knots; 20 minutes later it was 8.7 knots, Manuka heeling at a pronounced angle, me wondering if I should reduce sail. Then suddenly we slowed to about 6 knots. 

There’s a little town along Grande Case bay, well known as the gastronomic capital of Saint Martin. Several upmarket French restaurants and numerous bars and cheaper eating places. Very accessible – from my anchorage a couple of hundred metres off the beach, in 4.5 metre clear water, just a quick dinghy ride to a dock in the middle of the beach. Walk off the dock and you are in the heart of the action!

Stopped and had barbecued chicken, coleslaw and chips, washed down with beer (hardly menu gastronomique, but cheap and perfectly satisfying for an Anglo Saxon!). Then went into a bar next to the dinghy dock. The atmosphere was superbly French – the decor, the music playing, the people working there. Got talking with the waitress, who is from Normandy, and turned out to be only 11 days younger than my daughter Anna. She seemed to be enjoying the rather relaxed life here – we talked about France and England and laughed at how distant they both seem. Then I had a brief conversation with the owner, an elderly Frenchman, very polite and gentlemanly. 

Interesting how in a matter of just a few miles the culture and atmosphere changes so completely. This place is delightfully French – delightful because it has the relaxed Caribbean feel, without losing its French character. Manuka is one of about 20 yachts in the bay, but there’s plenty of space, it’s well over a mile wide. Turquoise water, lots of birds, flying fish leaping up and skimming the surface for 20 metres or so…