We left Rodney Bay bound for Le Marin, Martinique at 1045 on 27th March 2024. Bonny's short passage to Le Marin was an uneventful one under power due to the almost complete lack of wind.
On arrival we dropped anchor in the extremely crowded anchorage and were reaquainted with friends from our stay in Tobago. Plans were soon being made to form a small, multi-national, expeditionary force of friendly vessels comprising: SV Vitruve 🇫🇷, SV Lea 🇩🇪, SV Aura 🇸🇪 and SV Bonny 🇬🇧, to recignoitre Martinique's south east coast and secure a suitable location to celebrate.... well, whatever we wanted!
Back in 1780 however, it was a very different story. On 17 April, the fleet of the newly appointed French Commander in the Carribbean, Comte de Guichen, acting in support of the fledgling USA, departed Port Royale (now Fort de France), Martinique, intent on creating great mischief amongst the enemy, by capturing various British territories in the Carribbean.
View of the battle by Thomas Luny
However, Rodney's lookouts at the signal station on Pigeon island, St Lucia, quickly spotted the dasterdly deeds afoot - or even awash - and communicated their observations by flags and semaphore to their Admiral and his fleet of men-o-war anchored in his Bay below.
Sensing a great career enhancing opportunity, Rodney ordered the fleet to weigh anchor and pursue the French expedition. The ensuing gathering was far from friendly.
Within a few hours and having gained the great tactical advantage of being to windward of the French ships, Rodney signaled a cunning battle plan to his commanders, which if implemented successfully, would all but ensure victory over his adroit foe, Comte de Guichen. Such a great victory would guarantee his further advancement up the ranks of the naval command structure.
Unfortunately, it appears that the Commander of Rodney's lead ship, HMS Stirling Castle, one, Robert Carkett, misunderstood Rodney's instructions and as a consequence, things did not go quite to plan. Rodney's anticipated victory turned into a lenghty action ending in a stalemate which allowed the French to withdraw. The French lived to fight another day and subsequently, one of de Guichen's Admirals, Compte Grasse, inflicted the humiliation on Rodney, of capturing and holding Tobago despite the presence of Rodney's fleet. Rodney subsequently received a roasting in the British tabloids of the time, for failing to eject the French forces.
Ultimately however, Rodney was to have the last laugh, with his victory over the French in "The Battle of the Saints" (a group of small islands to the south of Guadalupe) in 1782. However, even this significant victory was not enough to ensure the retention of Britain's greatest overseas colony. Britain's wider struggle with her rebellious American states was not going well. The 1783 Treaty of Paris followed the Battle of the Saints just over a year later and the United States of America was formally constituted as an independent nation.
Our activities were much more convivial. After a gorgeous sail around the South East of Martinique, we navigated a slightly tricky pass through reefs and all four boats anchored safely nearby the "Bais des Anglais".
Damian cooked a Baracuda to feed us all that he caught en route and we all headed over to Lea with our own offerings of food and drink for a most enjoyable evening of food, booze and most importantly, delightful company.
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