Month: March 2018

Early morning we woke up to the usual quick rainfall in Prince Rubert’s bay on Dominica and cast off from a buoy and left one of the most original and beautiful islands, we have seen in the Caribbean.

Next stop was a quick 25 nm crossing to Iles de Sainte’s, for which we had great expectations. It is part of Guadeloupe and is beautiful, french and peaceful. Good restaurants, great snorkelling and fine hikes – and we did it all.

We truly enjoyed six days on a buoy in the bay in front of the small town, where we enjoyed lazy afternoons reading and swimming. USD 30 a night and free internet where you check in – MULTI SERVICE in the southerly end of the mainstreet. The bay is very nice, but a bit rolling, when the wind is in NE and stronger than 20 knots. If you want it more quite, you can move to Ile de Caprice, 1 nm away and be left completely in peace – you and the sea turtles….

We hiked around on the small islands, and the trip to the fort was spectacular. The view and the old fort was a joy. We also walked across the island to beautiful beaches. Do this in the morning before the ferry comes in with the “tourists”.

After the previous island we had seen, we felted pampered and spoiled in this relaxed upscale Anholt environment – and it was easy to become landlocked here. Especially when our friends from Greyhound arrived.

On Saturday it was time for the yearly carnival parade, which were fun, and very local. We walked with the parade and tried to blend in, but it is really difficult for a Dane to act quite the same way, as the locals. Later we learned that their was a much bigger parade in Point a Piedre and suddenly it time to leave for Guadeloupe.

It is a short 20 nm sail, but upwind in the Atlantic waves and 20 knots of wind, so for the first time our damaged and rather reduced sails, were perfect and we made it into a very nice marine called Bas de Fort, which answer on ch. 9. Just use the buoyed entrance and you will come right in. It cost € 30 a night and it is well protected, all services available, lots of activityinand around the marina. You properly should reserve inadvance. In generel, we have learned that sending an email afew days before arrival always help, even though you often do not get an answer.

There is a good restaurant with a norwegian chief, which can be highly recommended. Ask for the norwegian – they all know him!And then we were off to two great days together with Henrik and Louis. Henrik was going to sail with us for a couple of weeks and Louis is a pilot for Norwegian, living on the island.

First we saw the local carnival and enjoyed the vibrant sounds and colours – happy, happy people! They started the processions at 1500 and continued to late evening, and just kept going.We were lucky to get a table at a very local restaurant, so we could enjoy local food and watch the many hours of procession. It is carnival in a way we are utterly and completely unable to celebrate, in the same spirit as here. The colours and the sounds are all more, much more and the people here really enjoy.

The day after Louis was our tour guide and picked us up. Thanks very much.

 

We drove along the South coast and enjoyed the beaches, sawsmall towns and got an impression of the island. We will come back in March to see Basse Terre, the other part of the island.

 

Early morning we left for Antigua with a nice easterly breeze. We went around the southern part of the island to go north on the western coast, protected from the atlantic swells. We made ashort night stop in Deshaise, before we made the 40 nm crossing to wonderful Antigua.

When we left the bay of St. Pierre on Martinique, leaving the 1902 erupted volcano behind us, which caused this Paris of the Caribbean to deteriorated and never to blossom again, we were a little insecure whether we should make a stop in Dominica. Especially one report about lack of security have roamed the internet. We sailors are concerned with many things, but security probably takes first price and when a report about a boarding of a boat reach you – yes, it gets a lot of attention. The reaction from most in the sailing community is to avoid any exposure to an area, which have received a bad reputation.

In this case the rumours turned out to be very wrong and we truly enjoyed our visit! Dominica is probably as safe as they get and with some of the most friendly people we have met, here in the Caribbean. Even the petty theft which haunt Martinique, St. Lucia and most of the Grenadines is probably not happening here.

When we saw Roseau in the horizon, we sailed together with Osprey, a Finnish boat which had decided to visit Roseau, the capital. We were not that brave and carried on to the northerly bay of Portsmouth, but we watched the enormous destruction of the town from the sea. Later when we met with Osprey, they did report that safety had been much better, than in the Grenadines and it had been an extraordinaire experience, which they would recommend to all sailors.

As we sailed slowly along this very raw and unspoiled island, under our delaminated sails, we were met by Andrew from P.A.Y.S, which is the local security association in Portsmouth and Prince Roberts bay. He came to offer us a buoy in the bay for USD 10 a night and of course direction and and other services.
P.A.Y.S take care of your every need, when you visit the island. The security during day and night is for free, but when they help you to clear customs, renting a buoy, arrange tours, take care of your garbage and many other services, it of course comes with a price for service rendered. But in generel, it is not expensive and immediately makes you feel very welcomed and safe. They also screen you from lesser able service providers – so all good.
The buoys are all good they say, but the yellow ones where newly inspected and upgraded and you should not expect to be able to buy much. Maybe one or two restaurants are open with a one dinner choice.

We spend three wonderful days on Dominica, seeing the rainforest after the impact of a hurricane, we hiked up to a beautiful waterfall, had a river tour on Indian River, which was very impressive and of course took a walk in Portsmouth.

Everywhere the Dominicans are working to clear the paths and rebuild their island and still knowing that this will happen again, they are friendly and resilient. We heard reports about 20.000 people leaving the island in the aftermath of the last hurricane Irma, leaving 50.000 for the rebuild. Those we met where staying!

Dominica was also the first raw and unspoiled island we met, with very clear waters and few yachts on anchor. It feels as if you are of the beaten path, but it is really just on the way north, except that many yachties have decided not to visit this year.

We can only encourage to visit the island, because it is really nice and that way you will support the rebuilding of the island.