Martinique's shipping companies since 1930

Roger Jaffray

An archival document on the merchant navy in Martinique since 1930. The author brings together the description of the boats, illustrated with period photos and plans, news and interviews with the last sailors who witnessed this period.

The “Maritime History of the French West Indies” series, of which this book is part, was honored with a mention from the Académie de Marine in October 2018.

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This book is the last of five volumes announced by the author. It puts an end to a series whose intermediate titles concern each of the French territories of the Caribbean zone and the Guianas.

This time it deals with Martinique and its maritime transport armaments. Indeed, this story is centered on purely local companies, to the exclusion of shipping lines established outside the island.

In this work, Roger Jaffray explains what were the different maritime transport activities of Martinique. But also individual shipowners and shipping companies, their ships and their crews. It sheds comprehensive light on the often overlooked realities of these activities. Sailors who read this book will relive with emotion certain episodes of their active life. The descendants of those who are no longer, as well as all the actors of this period, will not be insensitive to it, and those who did not know it will find there the memory of an entire era.

SUMMARY

I. Domestic maritime transport

1. Sugar factories and rum distilleries

2. Shipping Department

3. Boats and small cargo vessels

4.Petrol cars for passenger transport

5. Pointe du Bout tourist company

6. Madinina, Sagetm, Tropical Stars

7. Boat trips

8. Professional leisure activities

9. St. Peter's Bay Company

II. External maritime transport

1. Transatlantic General Company

2. Tankers of the 1940s

3. Cabotage shipowners

4. Connections for passengers

5. GazOcéan and Antilles Gaz

6. Via Antilles shipping company

7. Services and Transport

8. Armament and transport company

9. Caribbean Express Antilles Trans Express

10. Ponant Islands Company

11. Fouquet-Sacop, Petromarine Sea Tankers

III. Maritime service activities

1. Port Services and Pilotage

2. Maritime agencies and harbor fleets

3. Works companies