Wednesday 2 May – Thursday 17 May
Steve gets us checked out
of the marina in Antigua. We are med moored, getting off is easier
then it was getting in, so we hang on the anchor out in front of our
slip as we secure the dinghy. We are under way and out the harbour
by 9, seas and winds are not as predicted so the first 2 hours of our
journey are a little rough. By 11 the winds have clocked east and
the seas are calmer and we are able to shut the motor off and have a
great sail the rest of the way to Deshaies Guadeloupe arriving by
2:30. Relax a while then Steve & George go into “customs”
(French island just a little cafe/store) and check us in and out as
we are just stopping overnight. Wild Thing comes over for
dinner and we make plans to leave after trying to get Chris Parker's
weather report Thursday morning. Thursday under way by 8 out of
Deshaies motor sailing in calm waters in the lee of the island. Just
north of Basse Terre winds & waves pick up BUT on the nose so
still motor sailing. Clearing the island conditions are not as
predicted, winds SE instead of east and seas sloppy, but since we are
out there we push through to Dominica, not stopping at Les Saints and
are anchored in Prince Rupert Bay in Portsmouth Dominica by 2:30.
Reuniting with JoAnne & Bill on Ultra who are still here.
They have in the past and currently are using Martin, AKA Providence
for a guide so we meet him and talk a little about doing some more
tours with him during our stay. Due to some weather down over
Venezuela the anchorage is experiencing some swells making it VERY
rolly. Not a lot of wind to work with so hard to use a bridle to
keep the boat facing the swells, we try several times but mostly just
hold on. Wild Thing (and several others) put a stern anchor
out to try to reduced the roll. Friday it feels good to get off the
boat onto solid ground, we go over to the Cabrits National Park, home
of Fort Shirley and several hiking trails. Have lunch under a huge
mango tree helping ourselves to mangoes, some workers coming over
with a long piece of board to knock some fresh ones off the tree. It
is mango season and there are TOO many to eat so everywhere you go
you can just pick some up off the ground or pick them from the trees.
We have a fun time exploring the fort grounds. Back to the boats
for a swim to cool off, boats still rolling we join George & Jan
going ashore for dinner. Picked the wrong restaurant, 1 out of 4
dinners was good, the other 3 over cooked, very tough. Saturday we
make a quick run into the fresh market at 7, then get picked up at
our boats for an island tour at 8:30. Martin has 8 of us on this
tour, Steve & I , Jan & George, JoAnne & Bill and Colleen
and Pat from Cool Change. Stopping at several scenic views, a
little local distillery making bay oil for bay rum, exploring some
gardens getting a lesson on some of the local flora, a cold Sulphur
Spring and an area known as red rock. Sunday is a cloudy drizzly day,
we finally get off the boats late in the afternoon for a walk.
Sunday night we had signed up for a BBQ on the beach, put on by the
local PAYS (Portsmouth Association for Yacht Security) guys for the
cruisers. Weather was not the best. but the food was good for a good
price and we got to meet a few other people from the different boats,
and met back up with Blue Song, Judy & Jochim who we knew
from Grenada. Monday another rainy day dinner on Ocean Star
with Wild Thing as they make
plans to head south. Tuesday morning along with JoAnne &
Bill from Ultra we go over to Wild Thing to say good by
again. They have a tighter schedule needing to get south to St
Lucia to haul their boat out before going back to Texas. Wanting to
see a little of Martinique on the way, and hopefully finding a calmer
anchorages they are leaving. They are dear friends we have been
traveling with for the last 3 months and we will miss them greatly.
We do a few boat chores and some swimming off the boat passing the
rest of the day, HH over on Blue Song to catch up on things since
Grenada. Wednesday a good day to dinghy over to Douglas Bay to do
some snorkeling with JoAnne & Bill. Back to the boats for lunch
before going to check out the new IGA supermarket south of town. It
is always so funny going to a store not really needing anything just
wanting to see what is available. Never fails we always come away
with several bags full of stuff even though “we really did not need
anything”. Dinner on Ultra talking about another island tour and
when to head down to Roseau. Thursday raining again, anchorage still
rolly at times, but still a beautiful spot. Friday 8 am pick up for
another island tour with Martin / Providence. A group of 10, seeing
some different sights and then Spanny Falls. Mostly cloudy day but
most of us went in for a swim anyway. Me and another couple waited
there as the rest climbed up over the ridge and hiked a little
further to another waterfall. A good lunch at Islet
View restaurant
with lots of rum tasting. They make their own rums using
almost every fruit, vegetable and spice found on the island, and
several of us had fun sampling a few of them. A few stops on the way
back to the boats by 6. Martin / Providence did a great job showing
us some of the north end of Dominica. Saturday rain on & off
most of the day. Steve went back to market while I slept in, a few
more boat chores and a relaxing day getting ready to head down to
Roseau, the capital, on the south end of Dominica the following day.
Sunday easy ride down past Roseau, get settled on Sea Cats mooring,
but we have to tie a stern line to his dock so we don't bump into the
huge Cat on the next mooring over. Not the best situation, a lot of
tension on that stern line at times, but it works. Early Monday the
big Cat leaves and Ultra moves onto that mooring but still not enough
swing room. Sea Cat needs a few more moorings better spaced for
bigger boats. We get off to a late start (11 am) for another island
tour with Sea Cat. He's a great guide, full of fun and very
knowledgeable about the country and it's flora and fauna. We stop
frequently to sample fruits growing by the side of the road. We have
a great time hiking to Middleham Falls, and go for a swim in pool
below and climb up a cliff into a cave, then higher up the cliff for
a jump into the pool. The water is cold. Next we drive to Titou
Gorge and swim up a very narrow gorge to the falls, climbing up and
over the first fall into a chamber with another fall. Have fun
getting a “falls massage”, then jump over the first fall into the
pool below and swim back out the gorge. We start heading back to the
boats, then decide to divert to Trafalgar Falls where they're just
closing, but let us in anyway since we're with Sea Cat. Time for a
few pictures and a quick soak in the hot springs to warm up and ease
tired muscles then stop at the River Rock Cafe & Bar for rum
punch as the sun sets, getting back to the boats by 8. Tuesday is a
perfect day, sunny and calm, for taking the dinghies down along the
coast first to Champagne Beach to snorkel then to Scotts Head to
snorkel. Champagne beach has warm bubbles coming up from an
underwater vent. Scotts Head is part of a marine reserve, and we can
see why with it's crystal clear waters and beautiful reefs it is a
magical place that on this day we have almost all to ourselves. The
bay is even more unique as it is an extinct volcanic crater with some
indeterminate depths. The area is breathtaking above and below the
water. Wednesday we go into Roseau to walk around, stopping at Ruins
Rock Cafe, known to have some of the weirdest rums and they do. Like
snake rum, snake fat rum, lizard, to name a few. It was just around
12:30 so we did not try any of these rums, don't think I could at any
hour of the day !! A third of the building is full of Caribbean
spices, so we spend a good amount of time in there learning and
buying spices. A walk up to the botanical gardens with a hike up to
a lookout over the town. Stopping at the Drop Anchor bar &
restaurant for HH on our way back to the boats. The place is owned &
run by a fellow Texan so the 4 of us from Texas felt we had to stop
by. She had nachos on the menu so we could not resist, then it
started to rain so while waiting for it to stop JoAnne & Bill
ordered a fish taco and we ordered a BBQ baked potato. Had not seen
those items on a menu in quite some time. Thursday morning we
settle up with Sea Cat saying goodby to him and Dominica once again.
Knowing that even though we have seen more of this beautiful country
there is much we have not seen. To us it is one of the most
beautiful islands we have visited, not the easiest to get around, but
we are in awe of its beauty.
No comments:
Post a Comment