Heading Straight to Dominica

It was great to see Martin and learn that his family was fine.

Unfortunately, we lost too much time in Rodney Bay that we had to skip Martinique this time. We were planning to go to St. Anne and Le Marin in the south end of the island. On our way down in 2013, we stopped at St. Pierre on the west coast for a couple of nights.

We toured the town and saw where the volcano eruption had wiped out the whole village, killing everyone except the one man in prison! Today the path of the lava flow is a lush green mountain-scape. The area offshore is filled with boats that were sunk by the hot lava.

Flowers from Martin

We stopped there for the night to sleep, but did not go ashore. Our goal is to do mostly day sails and not overnights. If we plan it right, we can sail from island to island with the only overnight sail being from St. Bart’s to Tortola, BVI. That one is always an overnight – even if you leave from St. Maarten. We will probably skip St. Maarten this time due to the hurricane damage. We have been there many times and would only stop if they have the part we need.

There was a lot of damage to Dominica.

Looking forward to one of our favorite islands, Dominica, we were concerned about the damage we would find. They were in the eye of the hurricane Maria and over 90% of the island homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Many stories have been coming out of Dominica about yachties safety and the lack of services available. We decided to see for ourselves. 

People are salvaging what they can and moving on slowly.

Martin answered our call and met us in the mooring field. It was great to reunite with him. He is very involved in creating a positive experience for visitors and was one of the founders of the PAYS system, Port Arthur Yacht Security. We had a ton of things to donate to the island and knew Martin would be trustworthy to make sure they went to those in real need.

We heard the story of the hurricane hits and that the islanders had less than 24 hours warning. They were not prepared for what came through there. There were downed wires every where. They were still without power in many areas and Internet was unavailable.

Their mobile phone service had been restored, but like big business tends to do, many people no longer have access. Apparently, Digicel restored service, but upgraded it to a level that most phones on the island can't access. People do not have the funds to buy new phones.

They have safe water again now that the river has cleansed itself of the debris and contaminants that came in with the surge. Other islands in the area and many yachties have been helping out.

We went to town to get some fresh produce and see what it was like there.

The vendors sell out of their vehicles, if they still have one, or on tables or the street. The prices seem to be fixed so we just went around and bought a little from many different vendors. Spread the wealth!

The whole waterfront was destroyed. The harbor is full of roofs, sunken boats and other debris. Power lines are laying in the streets, although the are probably not hot.




The Carib Indian village was nearly wiped out and there is a big movement to help restore it as it is one of only Carib Indian settlements left. We had a tour of that village in 2013 and met the wonderful medicine lady.

Like the rest of the island people devastated by Irma and Maria, they are working hard to restore their homes, schools and businesses. The high school was destroyed, as was the Medical School. The Medical School has moved back to the USA. This is unfortunate because it provided jobs for many Dominicans. It will take a while for them to bounce back. And there is not much governmental support.

The PAYS group of "boat boys" (who are really enterprising business fellows) maintain the moorings and offer a variety of services, tours, etc. Traditionally, they have held a Sunday night BBQ to raise money for their operation. In addition, it brings the yachties ashore for some fun and conversation with each other and the locals. This is one reason Dominica is one of the favored islands for yachts.

A Longer Than Planned Stay

Our purpose for going to Rodney Bay was to order a couple of parts and have them installed. System maintenance never stops on a yacht. There is a particular mechanic Dennis wanted to use there. We had emailed several weeks prior to get on his schedule and get the parts ordered so they would be there when we arrived. Oh, I forgot, we are in the islands. That is not going to happen as planned!

And it didn’t. The parts had not been ordered. We struggled to get anyone to finish what they had started. They like to tear the boat apart and leave to go work on another one. Frankly, I get very tired of tools and parts sitting all over the place whenever we are in a “maintenance” mode. Everything is torn up and cluttered. We aren’t talking about a workshop here. This is our living space! Maybe it is a gender issue?!?

Fortunately, there are a lot of good restaurants at the Rodney Bay Marina Village: Italian, Seaford, Thai, Pizza, Indian, Japanese and local cuisine. So we ate out a lot! It was great to get out of the mess on the boat.

One of the highlights was going to the Friday night Jump Up in the Gros Islet district. Individuals, as well as a couple of restaurants in the area, set up their food stalls on the street. If you are lucky, you can find a table to sit at while eating. The scene is fun and friendly and the food is good!


Of course, we chose lobster, but there was fish, chicken and conch available. The side dishes include many local root, or as they say “ground,” vegetables along with breadfruit made into fritters and other dishes, macaroni and cheese, and salad. Some desserts were also available.

The second time we went to Gros Islet on a Friday night, we walked through the Jump Up to the end of the street where we found the beach. To our right, we found a highly recommended place called Dukes.

There long grills made from oil barrels were covered with chicken and fish. I don’t know how many people they served while we were there, but the grillers kept the food moving. We did not see any lobsters so I had the fish and Dennis tried the lambi (conch). Salad, which is usually coleslaw with a little shredded lettuce and some tomato are the usual side dishes. And rum punch to wash it down.

I wanted this pot!

Our first trip to the grocery store was an experience. We were going to ride the bus, but my Captain thought the store was just “down there around the curve.” NOT! We walked, and walked, and walked some more before finally seeing the store ahead. I bought enough to ensure it would be necessary to get a cab ride back to the marina. Later I noted that the bus stop was across the street from the store!

For our second attempt at provisioning, we took the dinghy to the far end of the bay and walked between two building to find the mall. There we found Massy’s Gourmet, which had a lot of what I wanted, but I should have gone to the one in the mall on the other side of the road where the locals shop. Oh, well, it is just food. I don’t even look at the total of the bill anymore as it is what it is and then you must convert it to USD. Then you feel bad!

Heading across Rodney Bay to provision

Once nice thing about the Rodney Bay Marina is that they have a fresh market every Saturday morning. The local ladies, who appear to work in coalition, set up tables and put our all kinds of local produce. There is no price on anything so they just total it in their minds and give you a number. It always seems high compared to other islands, but … At least, I didn’t have to walk a long distance or take a bus or cab.

I have seen some of the strangest things people eat!

We ended up in the marina for three weeks! The parts finally came in. They weren’t right. Work did not get done. We left hoping to complete the project in Antigua or Tortola. Fortunately, it is not critical. We were disappointed in the mechanic’s failure to complete things. Dennis had that discussion with him and told him that his reputation on the dock is hurting his business; he needs to finish a job before starting another one as cruisers want to get going. It’s too bad because he was so good four years ago.

Will we ever leave here?

Seeing the Pitons from Land and More

Life is good in St. Lucia. Besides spending nearly two weeks hanging out at the pool, wining and dining and vegging on the boat, we did take an island tour with a driver. Even though there is only one main road, the driving can be challenging so we take the easy way and get an air-conditioned vehicle with a driver! This way Dennis can see more than the road and I don’t have to read the guide aloud as we whip past things.

Our driver stopped at the significant lookouts so we could see the Pitons from different locations. Of course, the locals are there selling their wares at the favorite stops. I bought a colorful wooden bead necklace at the first stop. The driver told me I didn’t need to buy from everyone. I told him that we like to leave a little money in the hands of the locals and not the stores. Besides, I knew if I wore the necklace, the rest of them won’t pressure me to by from them!

One of the highlights of the tour was seeing the Pitons from land. We had spent a night anchored below them, but it is difficult to take them in at that angle. They certainly are majestic from both land and sea! We continued south to see their new-ish airport. And we went to see the volcano.

At one point, since we had not taken tour time to eat lunch, the driver stopped along the road and bought himself an interesting snack. Of course, we bought one, too. It was very tasty and had cherries in it. But it was extremely dense and heavy. I have forgotten what the main ingredient was, but it was one of the many root starch sources common in the islands. It was a definite "stick to your ribs" treat!

As we drove through several small towns, we saw how people lived, visited a street market to buy produce. Actually, I would rather by produce on the street from the people trying to scratch out a living, rather than in the big markets. Not only do I like to see the money in the hands of the locals, I don't like the fact that the supermarkets refrigerate everything, even the tomatoes. That not only destroys the flavor, but it also means I have to keep it refrigerated - and I don't have enough space to do that!

Next stop: their active volcano. Having stood two feet from the cauldron of the volcano in Tanna, Vanuatu while it was spewing embers and seeing the red lava flowing into the sea in Hawaii, we weren’t too impressed. I think the driver was frustrated that we didn’t climb to the viewing point and listen to the guide’s presentation. The sulfur smell was very strong and unpleasant. I also think he was hoping for a 30-minute nap! We only spent ten minutes there and asked him to please continue the tour.

The final stop on our tour was the Diamond Falls and Botanical Gardens at Soufriere Estate. It was a lovely botanical garden with mineral pools, which we did not use. After the mineral baths in New Zealand, nothing measures up! Yes, I guess I am spoiled by all of the wonderful experiences we have had the chance to enjoy. The flowers and various plants in the garden were interesting.


The garden is the creation on an estate of one family who continues to maintain it. The minerals in the water of the falls have stained the rocks with yellow, green and orange. It was a very serene setting and cool in the shade. Shade is always a welcome relief down here.

Our final stop was at a street market so we could buy some

fresh produce. The store at Marigot Bay does not offer much.

Back to Bequia!

This says it all!

Bequia is one of our favorite Windward Islands. It is known as the Island of Clouds and is the largest of the Grenadine Islands. The name “Becouya” was given to the island by the Caribs. It lies nine miles south of St. Vincent. The island’s history has been entwined with the sea for generations. The traditions of boat building, fishing and whaling are still evident.

The Church windows

There is evidence that Bequia was inhabited as early as 200 AD by highly skilled pottery-making Amerindians who originated from South America. The Caribs migrated from South America shortly before the arrival of Columbus in the Antilles in the late 15^th century. The Caribs conquest over the indigenous “Saladoid” people, as named by archeologists, and ruled until the French seized Grenada and the northern islands in 1650.

The local church has a long history.

Admiralty Bay is good for anchoring and there are quaint and colorful shops and restaurants ashore. Port Elizabeth is the town and where Customs is located. This island offers many activities and encourages cruisers to participate in things like the children’s literacy program. They had suffered minor damage in the recent hurricanes and was back to normal. This is where Dennis worked with the swim team last April.

A typical Bequia produce shop

All of the shops are so colorful in Bequia

We discovered a new market with great meats and fruits and vegetable in town, Doris Fresh Food. I stocked the freezer here. We try to spread our money around, so we also shopped at a couple of smaller markets.

For a little exploration, we hired a driver to take us on an island tour where we saw the whaling station and very expensive vacation homes, one is for sale for $11,000,000 USD. I think I need a Sugar Daddy for that one!

Our trip took us to the south end of the island and through the mountain roads to the other side of the island and back down and around so we saw all except the fort. We have seen enough forts for a lifetime.

A group of locals came by to sing Christmas carols to us.

Janice, Ken, Gunella, Dennis, Sherry & Tony

Since it was the Christmas season, plans for cruisers activities were discussed on the morning net. The owner of The Fig Tree restaurant generously offers her patio dining area and grill to the cruisers for their Christmas Day meal since she closes the restaurant to allow her staff to have Christmas off. We were not going to be there for the holidays, but the cruising community was making plans for a community meal. Bequia goes all out with fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

It was fun meeting up with Gunella and Tony from S/Y Katarina (AUS) and Janice and Ken from S/Y Resolute II (AUS) in the bay. We had dinner together at the Bequia Plantation Hotel one night. We are finding it somewhat lonely sailing without the World ARC family so it is wonderful when we meet up with some of them from time to time.

Looking out from Jack's Beach Bar

Of course, no visit to Bequia is complete without a lunch at Jack’s Beach Bar! We usually anchor out from there and dinghy in to use the good Internet. They have a wonderful burger and fries. It comes with a free beer, too. I have actually learned to drink beer on this big adventure! I don’t love it, but on a hot day, it is refreshing.

Bequia is known for the Bequia Mount Gay Music Fest in late January. Unfortunately, we will be in St. Lucia at that time. This little community has so much happening all cruising season that it would be easy to just hang out there for weeks at a time.

And before we could leave, we needed to have our favorite lobster salad at the Gingerbread Cafe. Of course, their Internet adds to the lingering under the huge trees after lunch. It seems like we are always seeking our favorite places to eat  - and good Internet - when we revisit an island! The shade of these trees make it very pleasant in the hot afternoons!

Since we had reservations at the wonderful Marigot Bay Capella Resort Marina in St. Lucia, it was time to weigh anchor and sail overnight to St. Lucia. We do not like the safety issues related to stopping in St. Vincent, so we just sail on by each time. Recently there was a serious incident at the Pitons anchorage in St. Lucia so we decided not to stop there this time. We planned our departure so we would arrive at the Marigot Bay entrance at 0800 when the marina office opens.