Dominica Trafalgar Falls

Welcome to our last point south on this voyage. We’ve lingered too long in other places so we’re scrapping our plans for Grenada. We’ll head north again after our visit here and start heading for home. I offered to Trip to get to Grenada and leave the boat for hurricane season, but the idea of being without the boat for summer in New England is more than he can bear and we can’t afford two boats.

Though the moorings don’t have pennants, Trip realized if I laid down on the deck of the boat midship we were low enough to the water to snag the mooring ball. Turns out that was a good idea because there were less than 12 boats in the harbor when we arrived and by nightfall there were 60+. We’ve witnessed a few instances of dragging so in all fairness, happy to have a mooring (& they’re free during this Yachtie Appreciation Week).

Dominica got absolutely pummeled by the hurricane last September. The island is incredibly lush and green, but when you look at the hills in the right light you can see how much foliage was blown away. They’ve been working hard since the storm and it’s evident that, despite the damage, things are trying to get back to normal. Though the damage looks to be the same, the attitude seems to be much better and resilient down here than in the BVI.

Indian River

Local boat guys chauffeur service

Dominica has a group called PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) that manages everything from mooring balls, to water taxis, to beachfront BBQs, island tours, and assistance with anything you can think of (laundry, water, etc). They operate the most brightly colored boats and they’re of incredible assistance. We’ve heard others complain about the aggressiveness, but we haven’t seen it yet. Instead they’re incredibly proud of their island, welcoming to visitors, and happy to help. Given the work they’re doing and the devastation they’ve been through, I don’t have a problem paying.

coconut carving

Our first night we had dinner with Tivoli (arrived a few hours after we did) and new friends Simon and Charles from Belle du Large III at one of the few beach front bars still in operation. It was a basic meal of fish/chicken with rice and vegetables, but we all cleared our plates it was so tasty. The beer flowed freely and we sampled the local rum as well (“Under The Table” infused with pot plants didn’t give me the high I expected). We found out Charles and Simon were doing a river tour early the next morning and decided to join in.

horseback riding on Portsmouth Beach

Daniel picked us all up boatside at 7 AM. Despite the early arrangements, it’s the best time to go since the heat hasn’t settled in and it’s not crowded – there was only one other boat. Once upon a time the river had a canopy that created a mysterious appearance (hence the filming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie here). The canopy was gone from the storm & Calypso’s hut was destroyed, but it was still a great boat ride. Motors are forbidden beyond the first bridge so our guide Daniel rowed us upstream while he filled us in on all the local flora and fauna. The buttress roots were totally amazing and the Bush Bar was a lot of fun to explore. We didn’t see many birds but were lucky enough to view one of the local hawks, preening on a branch high out of the water.

Indian River