Early Morning
I was up at 06:00 and made my first coffee of the day to kickstart my system. The fuel dock opens at 08:00, but I’m assuming that they are on “island time” this Sunday. So I won’t get going until 09:00. I had planned to tow my dinghy behind Zanshin, but the winds are forecast to be quite strong. Plus, the waves will be correspondingly high, and without the engine attached, I’m afraid the dinghy would fly through the air and potentially capsize. So, I’ve now got it raised up and tied down securely on deck.
It is 08:00 as I write this. I’m essentially ready, but will putter about belowdecks a bit longer and prepare for the upcoming rough passage.
Fuel Dock
The fuel dock visit went badly. While docking in the winds wasn’t a problem, when I started filling the main tank, I heard a burbling sound after just a minute. When I stopped to get my ear closer to the filler tube, 
I heard a bubbling and managed to get my head out of the just in time to avoid a meter-high spout of diesel shooting out of the tank! The cushions and the freshly cleaned teak deck got soaked. All I can guess is that the filler relief got clogged, preventing the pressure from escaping. I continued filling the tank slowly, then also filled the 2nd tank – about US$800 of duty-free diesel, which should last me a long time.
Passage to Martinique
The winds were really strong – usually 20+ knots with commensurately high seas, but for a while I had 35 knots. With a heavily reefed sail, Zanshin handled well, and once in the lee of the southern tip of Martinique, I turned on the engine and motored the last upwind part. The Marina at Le Marin is huge, and I’d reserved a slip for 2 nights. The gents from the marina helped me Med-Moor between a large steel commercial vessel and a 75-foot power yacht.
Evening
The fuelling must have caused some diesel to spill as I had some in the engine room compartment, and the whole boat smelled of diesel. I’ll do the final cleanup tomorrow after work. Most of the local restaurants were closed, but I found a place for dinner and had an excellent lamb at Double V before returning and falling asleep.