3-6 April: Plodding along Northwards up the Islands

 

Tues 3 Apr

Depart St Pierre Martinique for Dominica.

Up early for sea preps. Papaya for brekky and hoist dinghy aboard. Got George on SSB for Caribbean weather forecast. Very light winds. Decide to change No2 Genoa to No1. Get away early and are soon off N Cape of Martinique in the wind acceleration zone. Very blowy with big seas and white horses. 1 Reef in main and 5 rolls in Genoa. Tramping along in a 18kt tradewind breeze. Les enjoying himself with constantly sail-tweaking. MB has Montezuma’s Punny Roo so has to take bum stopper pills.

MB takes sextant noonsights. Lovely sparkling afternoon sail. Fishing but no fish. Sadly wind falls light by the SE corner of the island so have to motor the last few miles. 1630 pick up buoy S of Rosseau town and await for directions from shore.  1700 buoy starts to move so we let go and move to one slightly further along the bay. We meet cheerful ‘Pancho’ and give him 10ecd and a bottle of beer. I’m not sure why, as we’d done all our own mooring without his help. Later we pay a grim looking monosyllabic chap from Dominica Marine Services 10USD for mooring.

Great nosh of MB’s spicy chicken and beans before launching and dinghying ashore to the Garroway hotel in the town (The Garroways are family friends of Les and his ex-wife). Some beers at the hotel with the family before being brought back to the landing stage by 4X4.

Weds 4 Apr Dominica

Full day exploring the capital town of Rosseau ashore. Mixed architecture of creole and georgian colonial. Streets of  overhanging fretwork balconies, crumbling stone basements,  and little coloured wooden sheds and cottages. Meet at the Garroway hotel for a massive lunch of pork, ham, and chicken in pumpkin soup. More than you can eat. Beer as well. Have to do  long walk around the botantical gardens to recover. Return hot and sweaty to the hotel to use the hotel showers. Great. Very rolly night back on board but under a beautiful covering of stars.

Thurs 5 Apr Dominica: A busy day of treks, mountains, and waterfalls in the interior using, after much bargaining,  Felix and his Faithful taxis. Felix is a youthful entrepeneur full of optimism.  We dip ourselves in waterfall pools and swim a windy cave gorge to an internal waterfall. Too many fat American and Russian tourists at some of the sites. Sadly not much wildlife, but plenty of greenery and colour. Good day exploring town and shopping. Pleasant early evening beers and farewells with the Garroways at their hotel balcony.  Good meal back aboard courtesy of Les. Very rolly evening in a beautiful calm sea under the stars.

 Fri 6 Apr Rosseau Dominica to Portsmouth, north Dominica.

Ashore early for water by jerry can portage along the ramshackle pier. Away under main and genoa under hot and fluky fickle winds. Brief lunch stop off ruined Castaway Hotel halfway along coast. Wind beginning to pick up. Les goes for lunchtime snorkle. Not much to be found. Good sparkling breezy afternoon sail. Wind picks up in acceleration zone at top of island at entry to Prince Rupert Bay. 1600 MB’s hat flies off. Another MOB sinking hat recovery exercise, beautifully exercised by Les.

Pick up buoy 1700 and pay ‘Jeffery’ from ‘SeaBird’ $78 for 3 nights mooring. Stay on board for very rolly night.