Dominica

Turning the corner

As we continue to make our way south, the short jaunts between the islands are very pleasant.   The passages from the States and through the northern islands required quite a bit of eastward movement into the teeth of winds that always blow from the east.  Finally, around St Martin, we turn more and more to the south.  Now that we have “rounded the corner” our path is more south and the east winds comes from our port side rather than directly on the nose.  In addition, the wind is often compressed by the islands and tends to be quite a bit stronger between each pair of islands.  The upshot has been wonderful beam reaches with winds in excess of 20 knots.  Really ideal conditions for ECHO.

As we are approaching Dominica from the north, we planned Portsmouth for the spot to make our entry.  Portsmouth is in a very large and beautiful bay called Prince Rupurt Bay and is well protected from any weather to the east and north.  It is wide open to the west, but we normally do not see wind from the west in this region.  Portsmouth is the best harbor on the island and was originally planned to be the capital of Dominica. Unfortunately, there was a large marsh area nearby that was thought to be unhealthy so the capital was moved south to Roseau.

Dominica has had some reputation in the past regarding cruising boats being hassled by locals.  As the islands are very close together, it is no large deal for cruisers to skip islands based on reputation.  As the reputation spread, fewer and fewer cruising boats elected to stop here.  As a result of this situation several of the yacht services guys (boat boys) organized into a group called  Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services (PAYS).

Wlecome to Dominica

As you enter the bay you are met by one of the brightly painted skiffs manned by a member of the PAYS group.  We were met by Titus on the Lawrence of Arabia boat and he guided us in to a mooring.  Once moored or anchored, your personal PAYS guy is your number one source for anything you might need in the way of tours and information.  In addition, the organization provides a secure dinghy dock ashore and patrols the anchorage looking for any boat problems or security issues.  As a result, Portsmouth is once again a popular cruiser’s spot to everyone’s advantage.

One of the ways that PAYS generates income it to sponsor a weekly BBQ for the cruising community.  One was scheduled for our second night in the bay so we attended.  The price was very reasonable, the food good, and the rum punch flowed endlessly.  It was great fun and an excellent way to meet our neighbors.

Another way that the PAYS guys generate income is by arranging tours.  The number one tour in Portsmouth is a guided slow boat ride rowed up the Indian River.  The terrain is tropical forest and very lush.  Although you are only a little ways out of town, it feels like the heart of the Amazon. This is also the site for some scenes in the Pirates of the Caribbean film Dead Man’s Chest and some of the props have been left in place.

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Dominica is known for its excellent hiking and we were able to sample a few.  Our first was to an area just adjacent to the bay called Cabrits.  This is the site of a major fortification that was built across 2 large hills.  Since the British builders needed roads to access all the various facilities on the site, the existing trails today follow those old road beds and make for excellent walking.

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We also took a couple of other hikes led by our friends Anna and Håkan from Unicorn.  Anna and Håkan are dedicated hikers and know the island well.  For one hike we walked up from Portsmouth and joined a bit of the Waitukubuli National Trail.  This long distance trail has been developed in 14 segments and stretches for 115 miles around the island.  We were joined on the hike by Stan and Lann from Barefoot Life.

On another trip Håkan and Anna took us on a hike that led to an excellent waterfall and swimming hole called Chaudiere Pool.  Since we had visited this site on our driving tour we felt like veterans.  For this hike we were joined by Cheryl and Robin of Just Imagine, Sheila and Chris of Never Board, and Stan and Lann of Barefoot Life.

The trail system in Dominica is unparalleled in the Caribbean and we hope we have another opportunity to explore more of this amazing island.

Thanks to Cheryl and Robin for an outstanding Sundowner Party on Just Imagine!  Meeting all the great people out here is the best part of cruising.  Hope we see all of you again soon!