Dominica, day 6 – Portsmouth

Tuesday 10 April: As usual, on our first day in a new place we take it easy and get a feel for it. The swell and subsequent rocking that we had feared last evening turned out to be not so bad and we slept well. We potter on the boat all morning, Oana on admin tasks and Glen spraying the winches and windscreen with fresh water using our garden spray, to get the salt off from yesterday’s sail. Then covering the winches, losening the halyards and the usual routine after a sail, when we don’t expect to sail again for a few days.
At midday we go ashore in Portsmouth, landing at the PAYS dock which is newly rebuilt by the crew of Sea Cloud, which we know to be one of the big tall ships, cruising the Caribbean. Oddly though, they seem to have got too enthusiastic and also installed a substantial hand rail all around the jetty dock too, meaning that once we land the dinghy we have to climb over the rail to get on the jetty! Surely all that new timber could have been better used somewhere else. A rail on a jetty is pointless, no?
This jetty is right at the north end of Portsmouth so it’s a 10 minute walk to get to the center. First impressions are that it’s very tidy compared to the capital town, Roseau. People here seem more proud. It’s the second biggest town on Dominica, but it’s basically just a one-road village. It has no supermarkets but we sample multiple mini markets along the way.
In the center there are small veg stalls by the fishing boats jetty and as usual there are zero fruits for sale – the crops still recovering from Hurricane Maria.
Nearby we find smells coming from the Sisters Kitchen and we go over to see what’s cooking. There are only 3 walls left of their street kitchen shop, all that was left by Maria. They have a makeshift metal frame and plastic sheet as a roof, and 2 ladies are selling stir fried chicken and chips which we cannot resist indulging in. We eat sitting on some steps across the street. The chicken in its Creole sauce is delicious. Oana goes back to compliment them and their faces beam in delight.
Further along we cross the bridge over the famous Indian River where the English and French (depending who had ownership of Dominica at the time) used to row up river to meet and trade with the native Carib tribe. It’s now an attraction, so we book a tour for tomorrow morning. In the river entrance there are 3 sunken boats and a large crane half submerged in the sea water. We wonder just how authentic the tour up the river will be!
Across the river we find a rental car depot with the usual gathering of semi-wrecked cars in its yard. Some with wheels missing, some with make shift plastic covers, none looking particularly serviceable! First car available will be at 10am tomorrow which is perfect for us, so we book it.
As we have crossed the river we are now in the town of Glanvillia, but soon the road turns landward so we decide to explore further when we have the car.
Back near to the PAYS dinghy jetty we stop at a small but very clean and tidy beach bar, Mohiba, run by a French woman. It’s been a hot walk through town and the shade and cool drink is welcome, even if the prices are above local. We chat to her about the hurricane and how high was the storm serge. Initially our thought is that Portsmouth was not hit so hard, but when she shows us photos taken days after Maria had passed, it’s clear they were badly affected too. The devastation in the photos compared to what we see now shows the incredible amount of clear up they had to do. Her beach bar was reduced to 2 walls yet here it was looking pristine again. She also mentions that Dominica never had a yacht security problem, at least not in the last 14 years since PAYS was formed. And indeed, in this particular bay we have had a very welcoming and friendly experience so far, no pressure or hassling from anyone. Just good honest help.
Back on Cloudy Bay, Glen has a long overdue chat with Alex in London. It’s been a few weeks since last call and there is a lot to catch up on. Then it’s a swim to give the hull a clean above the waterline, and lunch.
By evening the wind is up. Actually, it’s howling! Squall after squall pass over, some up to 35knots and each with pelting rain. Even on the mooring Cloudy Bay is kiting all over the place. We are glad we are not at anchor.
Despite the wind, we venture back ashore to taste the atmosphere at the same Mohiba beach bar. There are a lot of cruising people in there and a lot of young children all playing in the sand near to the bar. Ooooph they are each covered head to foot in sand. We are glad they are not coming back to our boat!
We meet a British family with 3 young children. They recently bought a wooden schooner in Martinique and are now liveboards like us and heading in the same general direction. After they have left we decide to head back to Cloudy Bay and finish off the St.Lucia video and clear that off our backs before we start Dominica, for which we already have over 250 video clips! As we do this, the wind continues to howl in the rigging outside and we go to bed feeling cozy in our cabin.