Dominica became independent in 1978.
The majority of people here are of African or mixed African and European descent. It is the only country where Caribs still survive. English is the official language, and french patois is spoken as well.
It is a mountainous country with a 12m. annual rainfall and rich volcanic soil. It has a warm tropical climate. With these conditions anything will grow here. The main crop is bananas.
It has suffered from hurricanes in 1979 and 1980. It is a shame this occurred only 1 year after Dominica gained its independence from Britain. It is very attractive with its steep coastal cliffs and lush green forests.
The highlight of Dominica is having time with Liz and Anders, contacts of our Swedish friends Allan and Margaretta. We were only planning to spend one night here but we stay for three. Our first evening here we have an impromptu dinner on Impulsive.
We anchor just south of the capitol, Roseau.The architecture here is interesting with the old english colonial and the french next to the new. Many of the houses are ramshackle, some shingled and built on stilts. Most of them have high pitched roofs to cope with the hurricanes.
There is still a great deal the same here as in the 50´s. eg the shops but there is now a new supermarket from a U.S chain. Also there is a lot of red tape here. Liz explains everyone, of all ages, has to have an annual Aids test to be resident in this country. Friends of theirs have been trying to obtain a building permit for sometime now. They have had numerous appointments but the official concerned never turns up. They think next season they will start to put up a fence to see if that attracts the appropriate attention.
The market is buzzing on Saturday morning. The stall holders come the evening before to prepare for the day, and are open until 5pm so it is a very long session for them.
The main drive up the west coast to Portsmouth is very scenic with poor road conditions. Chinese workmen are rebuilding this road and the bridges. 200 citizenships have been granted for the Chinese as they are considered to be disciplined and work hard.
The island should need an industry, especially as it is considered to be the poorest country in the Caribbean. Food is not a problem here as it is plentiful and they have community growing.
A large boat wreck from the 1992 hurricane
A large boat wreck from the 1992 hurricane
Indian River
Rowing with "James Bond"
The boat ride with a guide up the Indian River near Portsmouth gives stunning glimpses of the nearby mountains as we search for flora and fauna of the area.eg. silver mullet, night herons, the 3-400 year old bloodwood trees, native birds of paradise. As with all the waters in the Caribbean there is nothing dangerous in them which is very comforting, compared to Australia where there are many dangerous species.
A heron
Reed bird made by our guide
Cocoanut beach
View of west coast of Dominica
Tonight Ross and I venture in the dinghy to "The Old Fort Hotel" for dinner.
River Rush, with Liz
Anders and Ross at lunch
Enjoying the music
Sunday brunch with jazz at River Rush is an Eco retreat situated in the rainforest between 2 rivers. This special place is hidden away, and tourist buses don´t come here. We have been included in a large party here with people from many countries. Similarly to Liz and Anders there are many couples in Dominica from Sweden, and once retired they come for up to 4-5 months a year to slip out of the freezing cold Swedish winter. One young family come for 3 weeks every year and the 2 daughters go to school here. Everyone seems to be involved in the community .
Everyone in this group love the lifestyle here with the relaxed, simple life style and healthy living. They certainly know how to enjoy themselves. We were picked up at 9.30am and returned to Impulsive at 5pm after a wonderful brunch and lots of dancing.
Everyone here is gearing up for Carnival which begins tomorrow morning. It begins as a Roman Catholic religious ceremony beginning 40 days before Easter. There is music and dancing in the streets for 3 days and nights to follow. We have to move on so hope we might see one elsewhere.
A vivacious little girl whose family run this anchorage
Monday 7th. March
We let go the buoy and stern tie up at 5am. to set off to Les Saintes, some small islands to the south of, and forming part of Guadeloupe, which was made a department of France in1946. This is a lovely sail with 16 kt. winds on the beam and S.O.G. of 7 kts.
A typical cottage at Terre de Haute
Main street - Terre de Haute
Arriving at Terre-de-Haut in it´s protected bay is lovely with its magnificent waters and surrounding volcanic landscapes covered in lush vegetation and several neighbouring islands.
We thoroughly enjoy our couple of days here swimming off the back of Impulsive in the most beautiful turquoise, clear water, walking about the island including viewing Napoleon´s fort and over to Plage de Pompierre on the east coast via Marigot Bay
View over Marigot Bay
Plage de Pompierre
Plage de Pompierre
The Carnival is on here which is great fun and it is wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves dancing and singing to very loud calypso music in the streets. Many people have colourful costumes on.
Everything closes for Carnival, including the customs office, shops and many of the restaurants.
The 2 favourite local dishes here are the plump prawns flambeed in rum and smoked fish eg tuna, marlin and mahi-mahi served with salad and toast.
Carnival beginning
Carnival
Sunset - Impulsive on the r. hand side
Large schooner leaving at dusk
Wednesday 8th. March
We sail to Des Hales on the Basse-terre section of Guadaloupe. This is a lovely gentle sail across the canal des Saintes. We are in no hurry with n to n.east winds 13-17 kts. Soon we are on the leeward side of the island and need to motor-sail.
A snorkeling stop at Petit Islet by Pigeon Island in the Costeau Underwater Park is well worth it in the exquisite, clear waters and with many different kinds of fish. Deshaies on the n.west coast of Guadeloupe is a delightful and protected anchorage in a small fishing village, surrounded by hills and mountains.
Deshaies
Ross is able to clear in and out of customs in a small souvenir and art shop. It has internet and this can all be done on the one form without even checking our passports. We tried several time to check in at Les Saintes but were not able to. This system seems farcical keeping in mind how seriously some countries in the Caribbean take this, and how difficult and time consuming it can be.
It is a beautiful evening with a magic sunset. We enjoy a delicious creole dinner ashore.
This is the first night this season we experience a heavy roll at the anchorage and so don´t sleep well.
We are disappointed we are unable to track e. of north to Antigua because the winds are against us. We are especially sorry as we were looking forward to catching up with Rufus and his family there.
Thursday 10th. March
Leaving at 0530 hours we are pleased not to have the vent of the huge wind scoop often experienced here until you are well clear of the island.
We are sailing to St. Kitts via Monserrat, the volcano which last erupted in December 2008. Sailing past the very barren south of the island the volcano is still belching smoke, and smells of sulphur. You can see where the debris has been spewed out of the volcano, the massive boulders and the ruined town.
Monserrat
The winds are varying from n.east ,which suits us , to n.n.east which makes it difficult, so our S.O.G. varies from 4.5-8.4 kts. We motor-sail where necessary e.g. in the lee of Monserrat. As forecast the wind comes round more n.n.east about midday which is dead against us. Later the wind drops out .
Late afternoon we anchor at Nevis Island off Pinney´s beach. This area is written up in the book "1000 Places to see before You Die". Our guide books suggest the resort area and well known golf course here were ruined by a hurricane a few years ago so we are not sure what to expect but would like to see the beach anyway. We moor on a buoy here and enjoy the many pelicans that are at home in this setting.
All looks very quiet ashore but the resort re-opened last November and we have a wonderful dinner by the sea. Further down the beach is Sunshine´s Bar and Grill which is a relaxed and friendly place that we plan to return to. It looks closed tonight. (The closure of the resort for repairs and renovations was a problem for the islanders here and it used to employ 6oo people).
Friday 11th. March
We are up early this morning and excited as Heather and Dave arrive this afternoon. We sail with just the headsail up over to St. Kitts where we have planned to meet them.
This marina has the most difficult tie up we have ever had. There is a slight breeze and we need to come in "stern to" between poles. (This is similar to what we are used to at Royal´s yacht club at Williamstown at home but much more challenging).
The young man on the dock from the marina office is a great help which we really appreciate.
St. Kitts gained Independence in 1983. It suffered its last hurricane in 1989.
We provision the boat and get her ship- shape for our next leg.
Ross leaves for the airport because we can´t hire a car and the taxi can only take 3 adults.
Soon after this it is exciting to see Heather and Dave´s plane descending into St. Kitt´s airport.
St. Kitts Marina
It is lovely to have Dave and Heather on board and catch up with some news from home.
Ashore this evening, being Friday night, the street along the foreshore of town is alive and buzzing with local food stores, small places cooking food on barb-e-ques and loud calypso music.
We have dinner upstairs at Ballahoo restaurant , overlooking the Circus including several buildings with an interesting mix of english and french architecture. The clock tower in the centre is impressive.
Dinner at Ballahoo restaurant
Heather sampling a fruit punch
The Clock Tower
Saturday 12th. March
The four of us take a tour of the island in a local taxi.We drive up the west coast of the island with the magnificent sea on our left and the interior of the island on our right. The land is very fertile and a drive up through the rain forest is beautiful. There are many African green vervet monkeys here.
Brimstone Hill Fortress
The first stop is at Brimstone Hill Fortress built in the C17 on cooled lava with British architecture, and built by the African slaves. This is a most impressive structure but it is chilling to think of the lives of the slaves who built it.
From here we make our way further north and then turn off through some fields of sugar cane to have lunch at old Rawlin´s Plantation. The views are wonderful, and the local dishes are delicious and very well presented.
Rawlin´s Plantation
The spread of local dishes
We enjoy the resident artist´s work and see how she must be inspired in this idyllic setting overlooking the magnificent gardens and the sea.
Frigate Bay
We call in to Shigity Shack at Frigate bay which is further south. This is a bar on the beach here where the locals meet frequently in the evening. It is very popular apparently but we are a little disappointed with it. Perhaps it all looks more atmospheric at night with the lights on.
We up anchor mid afternoon to track back to Nevis Island for the night. Enroute we drop the anchor at Bugs Hole Bay to snorkel close into its cliffs. There is quite a variety of fish here and a lovely afternoon to be in the sea. There is a large wreck washed up against the rocks which is a reminder of the damage suffered during the hurricane.
A wreck washed up during the hurricane
Dave adjusting the sheets
Dave adjusting the sheets
We moor just on dusk at Nevis Island. We take Heather and Dave back to the seaside restaurant we enjoyed so much a few nights ago, with its views, attractive decor , atmosphere and very special cuisine.
The huge Club Med 2 ship is anchored in this same bay. We have seen it in several other anchorages . There are not many other yachts here.
Sunday 13th. March
Waterfront at Nevis - Charlestown
We have to clear out of Nevis Island this morning before we leave. Nevis Island and St. Kitts. form a federation. It is disappointing to see the lower standard of living, particularly in St. Kitts.
Tourism is now the main source of economy in both places.
This takes a long and frustrating time because the customs officer has gone out to the Club Med ship. We came ashore at 8am. hoping to be able to leave in time to ensure arriving at St. Barts before dark. It doesn´t take us long to enjoy walking around this small capitol and only town on the island. It has many historic buildings of stone and wood and some renovated places along the sea front.
Finally some other official does it by 9.30am. and we are free to get away. This system really can try one´s patience.
Customs building - Nevis
Typical painted house in pastel colours
A family preparing a small shark they caught
Heather practising knots
Leaving Nevis we motor-sail into the wind through the Narrows between these two islands. We turn 40 degrees to tack up the west (Atlantic) coast of St. Kitts with a good sail averaging 6.5 kts. with an e.n.e. wind. Then the wind comes up as forecast into the n.e. so it is difficult to sail. The wind then moves back to the east so we had an excellent sail to finish, and are pleased to anchor before dark after an 8 hour sail.
Barbuda Island is west of St. Kitts and is where you can see the amazing frigate birds mating. Heather and Dave saw this at the Galapagos Islands and we hope to see them there next year so we don´t make the detour to go there.
To anchor at St. Barts. we have to consider the big tidal range of 5 m. here.
We have a relaxed barb- e-que dinner on board
Sunset at St.Barts.
Monday 14th. March
View over St. Barts.
This morning we go ashore to check in. Heather is our tour guide of Gustavia, the capitol. There is a special interest here as this island belonged to the Swedes and one of Heather and Dave´s son´s-in-law is Swedish. The Swedish clock tower and the museum are of particular interest.
The traditional homes built of stone, wood, and steep pitched shingle roofs are very attractive. Many have returning verandahs.
Swedish Museum
We have a coffee and french patisserie stop which is a highlight.
Heather and I have some window shopping in the chic boutiques. Ross and Dave are not so interested in this part of the tour!We take a short taxi drive across the island to Baie St John and have lunch at Nikki beach restaurant. This reminds us of the stretches of beach near St. Tropez with its white sands and beautiful turquoise waters. It is set right on the beach and it is lovely hearing the water lapping up to the shore and to see the waves breaking over the nearby point. Heather and I indulge in a fresh fruit daiquiri which seems to suit the surrounds.
Returning to Impulsive we track 3 miles west across to Ile Fourchue. This a very tiny privately owned island. It is such a contrast to where we have just been. It is within a marine reserve, barren and has nothing on it except a small, locked shed. We enjoy a late afternoon swim and snorkel. There are only 9 moorings here so it is very quiet.
We have a light dinner on board Followed by dancing. All great fun! Ross and Dave stay up to run the generator and solve most of the problems of the world.
Tuesday March 15th.
It doesn´t take long to have a walk on Ile Fourchue before we let go the mooring and head 8 n.miles across to St.Martin. We have a problem putting up the mainsail as the system keeps fusing out. We haven´t done this since it fused out when my fingers were jammed. Dave realizes we must have wound it onto the spindle too tightly after it had been allowed to billow in the wind to loosen it, so now there is too much tension on the system. This is the solution and we are now able to enjoy a sail with both sails up.
Saint Martin/Sint Maarten
This is a fascinating small island as it is split between France and the Netherlands.
Sint Maarten is hoping to break away from the Dutch Netherlands Antilles Fed.
Ross drops the anchor very close to shore in a very attractive part on the eastern side of Simpson Bay.
Coming through the channel towards the lifting bridge
We now have an interesting time accessing the Simpson Bay Lagoon which is via the channel under a lifting bridge. The bridge only opens 3 times a day and we need to be ready to catch the last time at 1730 hours. First we have to check in which takes time because they insist they need proof of Heather and Dave´s departure. Contacting the marina inside the bridge takes time but is worth while as they have a marine officer who comes out in his run-a-bout to give us instructions for passing through the channel and tying up in the marina.
Simpson Bay yacht club marina is large but well organized. It is another pole tie up but we have our extra crew on board and 2 young men helping on the dock, as well as guy in his run-a-bout, so all goes very smoothly.
The facilities here are very good including hairdressers, doctor and dental services, bars and restaurants, and a nearby supermarket. Also as part of the service they deliver a newspaper each morning, and a free coffee station at the entrance.
Security here is very reliable.
We have a very delicious Italian dinner here at the marina.
Wednesday 16th. March
We are all up early to make the most of Heather and Dave´s last morning. We can go across to the french section of the lagoon to marina port Laroyal in the dinghy without worrying about passports. This is inside Marigot Bay. We enjoy a coffee with the most amazing french patisseries. The local market on the seafront is in full swing by the time we arrive, with the old fort up on the hill in the background.
Pastry shop
Little girl with braided hair
Heather and I have one last look at some of the boutique shops. It will be fun for Heather to take something home from here.
We have a quick lunch on Impulsive before farewelling Heather and Dave. We later see their plane soaring up high over the marina before it banks sharply to the right because of the position of the mountains here. We wave goodbye to them after the most wonderful few days filled with sun, good fun and some good sailing.
Ross now sets about working through his list of repairs etc. He finds a very competent electrician who replaces the solonoid and pump for the forward head, the float switch for the bilge pump, and adjusts and resets the 12V instrument display simply by disconnecting and reconnecting it.
The track for the spinnaker pole is still a problem and Ross is deciding the best way to tackle the problem
He has great success with the head of the sail and can fix it himself. This is such good news because we were worried it might hold us up for a few days.
This is not the marina to hang out our washing so we treat ourselves to the laundry service here
By lunch time today all the jobs are done and we plan to leave tomorrow.
This afternoon we take the dinghy out under the bridge to a beach along Simpson Bay for a swim and a walk.
An Australian comes to say high and is upset he has had his dinghy stolen. He has a chain and hadn´t bothered to put it on. We are glad Ross has made the effort to do this because we know what a hassle it is to be without the dinghy.
Sunset view over St. Maartens
We leave in the evening while there is still light to go to the capitol of the dutch side, Philipsburg. We see an enormous cruise ship leaving the harbour as we arrive so all is peaceful and quiet. We enjoy a walk along the palm-lined boardwalk and a drink and one of our best dances ever at a bar here. The musician/singer is wonderful, and we have lots of space on the boardwalk.
Dinner at Chesterfields on the waterfront is very pleasant.
Philipsberg
Friday March 18th.
We are all set to go through the 11am bridge lifting time. This island is only 7 miles by 7 miles but because of the 2 countries involved we have to check out again.We pass out through the canal when the bridge is lifted and track north then east to Marigot Bay, passing long stretches of white beaches and some stunning homes on the seafront and along the clifftops. The water is the most exquisite turquoise colour. We both just want to jump in.
We have a relaxing afternoon on Impulsive and go shore in the evening light. I am very disappointed to find my favourite pastry from Wednesday is sold out. We are hoping to provision for a long sail tomorrow.
Marina Port Royale looks more attractive with its night lights and we enjoy dinner at the well recommended Le Chanticlaire on the waterfront with its decor and delicious french cuisine.We meet an interesting couple from Canada who have a time-share holiday apartment here. They mention as with other Caribbean Islands, St. Martin is usually very dry and "brownish" at this time of the year so we are lucky to see it so green. In testament to the unusual rainfall they are experiencing this year, just as we return to the dinghy the heavens open and the rain buckets down. Luckily we can run for shelter and wait, especially as Impulsive is anchored a long way out from shore.
Favourite recipe this leg:
Prawn and Pumpkin risotto
Fresh pumpkin from Liz and Anders vegetable garden - cubed
Fresh prawns
Garlic
Snow peas
small heads of broccholi
Arborio rice
Vegetable stock
South African spices
Prepare risotto with the garlic, add pumpkin and water as necessary.
When above is nearly cooked add broccholi heads and snow peas, vegetables and spices
Serve with salad
