By the end of January, Taka Trois had reached the port of Le Marin in the south of Martinique and our original plan was to go as far as St. Martin in the Spring. However, work and taxes called us home to France for a few weeks, and when we returned to Martinque at the end of February, we decided to put her up for sale sooner rather than later, foregoing that last trip north. For many reasons, we believed the time was right.
Our plan was to finish some lingering boat-work, leave her in the hands of the broker and then travel to Trinidad mid-March for business, and on to New Jersey to be with our family for Easter. Ha! What’s that quote about the plans of mice and men ?* Enter Covid 19, followed by strict lock-down measures in France, including Martinique, starting March 17.
The rumours of potential confinement measures were widespread the week before President Macron confirmed them, and we realised that we had a short window to decide whether to stay in Martinique or go elsewhere. In the end, we trusted the advice of the experts and decided to “stay put.” The advantages were non-negligible; less risk of contagion, fairly good medical facilities in situ, excellent health care coverage for us as French Nationals, as well as ready availability of most things we might need, not to mention the benefits being on an island rich in agricultural produce and natural resources. It was the right decision.
Of course the irony that we were forced to spend another three months living onboard a boat that we had just put up for sale, did not escape us. However, being confined on Taka Trois together is something we have honed to a fine art over the past 10 years, so it was no hardship. Taka Trois has been our home for a significant part of our lives after-all, and we love being onboard.
The only decision we had to make after that was whether to anchor out in the bay of St. Anne or stay on the dock in Le Marin. Our broker had offered us a much-coveted spot on his dock, but the idea of being able to swim off the boat at anchor, and enjoy unencumbered views along with cooler breezes and no mosquitoes was very tempting...,especially as all the beaches would be closed, and it was out of the question to swim in the marina.
*The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. The saying is adapted from a line in “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns: “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.”
"To stay in the marina or to anchor in the bay, that was the question which haunted us in the hours before lockdown..."

By the deadline of noon on March 17th, we were fully provisioned, including several cases of good rosé and an ample supply of TP (PQ en français). Thankfully I remembered at the last minute to throw some treats into the shopping cart to celebrate Patrice’s birthday the next day—foie gras, confit de canard and the fixings for a chocolate cake. That meal was washed down with an excellent bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape. He was a very happy birthday boy.

What helped us enormously were the abundant daily doses of humour and encouragement that came from our friends and family via the internet, and things improved exponentially once we discovered the joys of Zoom. Claire-Elise gave me a little lesson in computer conferencing and with a zoom-pro subscription I was unstoppable. My mother’s confinement in New Jersey also improved once we had Alexa (AKA ‘Alexi’ or ‘that lady,’ as she tends to call her) installed in her home and she is now able to see us.
For your viewing pleasure, I give you a selection of my personal favorite Covid jokes and cartoons...
Steve and Patrice were not able to meet face to face until confinement restrictions eased, but their friendship grew as they became a popular double-act, doing their bilingual broadcasts, helping cruisers decipher the French lock-down regulations, and offering support and encouragement where they could. As you can imagine, Patrice was in his element.
One day in early April, Steve put out a call on the radio asking if any boats would be interested in doing an Easter Service with him and his wife Annemarie. Patrice and I leapt at the opportunity. In the end, 11 other boats, including Taka Trois, participated in a beautiful bilingual service on Easter Sunday, led by Steve, translated into French by Patrice, and included live music from Giorgio, an Italian saxophonist from the Torino Philharmonic and a reflection by yours truly.
Our little floating church ministry, dubbed ‘Under the Star’ flourished over the following months and the Sunday morning before we left, we had completed our 8th ship-to-ship Sunday worship service. It was both privilege and an incredible blessing for us to serve this wonderful community. Several more cruisers have stepped up to help out now that we’ve left, including a young woman with a harp on her boat (!), and we pray that they will be able to continue this ministry as long as possible.
After a long debate, we decided to leave Taka Trois in Martinique in the hands of our broker. It was not an easy decision, but in the end it was taken out of our hands as an important appointment forced us to return home last week. It's a risk, but we had no choice in the end. Thankfully the boat is insured, and we have people we trust who will be looking after her. We fervently pray that the hurricane season will be gentle with these islands...
As we come out of confinement, and continue to adjust to a world where social distancing, masks, sanitisers and travel restrictions have become a normal part of life for the foreseeable future, we thank God for keeping us and our loved ones safe. We grieve for those who lost friends and family during this terrible time, and also for the tragic state of affairs in my beloved home country.
This is, in all probability, my last post on this blog, for we hope and pray that the boat will sell as quickly as possible. There has been some interest in her, but no potential buyer has been willing to brave the mandatory two-week confinement upon landing in Martinique to come and have a look. Those restrictions should be easing shortly...
This is, in all probability, my last post on this blog, for we hope and pray that the boat will sell as quickly as possible. There has been some interest in her, but no potential buyer has been willing to brave the mandatory two-week confinement upon landing in Martinique to come and have a look. Those restrictions should be easing shortly...
Thank you for traveling with us vicariously during our years onboard the good ship Taka Trois, and also for your encouragement, prayers and support throughout. It has been quite a ride and it has been wonderful to share this experience with you.