Week 40 September 15 – 21 2014

Week 40 started off in St Pierre and finished off in Le Marin, the yachting centre for Martinique.



St Pierre

Martinique was called the Island of Flowers – Martinique Madinina by the Caribs. It is the largest of the Windward Islands and is the first in the chain approaching from the north. It has been predominantly under French rule since it was colonized – few times it has been under British rule.

Information taken from 2013 – 2014 Sailors Guide to the Windward Island by Chris Doyle 16^th Edition pg 64.

“The Empress Josephine grew up in Martinique on a 200 acre, 150 slave estate near Trois Illets which is close to Fort de France.



Diamond Rock

In 1804 the British were largely in control of the waters in the Caribbean. There were not many  ships available, so someone suggested that Diamond Rock on the south coast of Martinique was about the place the British, if they had another spare ship, would station one. They commissioned the rock as a ship and equipped the rock with its steep, barren and extremely difficult terrain with enough supplies and water for a full crew of men. For 18 months H.M.S. Diamond Rock was in operation and was an unpleasant surprise for ships sailing into Martinique.

Napoleon was furious as this was the birthplace of his dear Josephine so ordered Admiral Villeneuve to free the rock and destroy Nelson. Unfortunately Villeneuve only managed to liberate and hand the rock back to France, as Nelson was given some poor information and sent on a wild goose chase, landing up in Trinidad so he was unable to defend the rock.

Napoleon was not very pleased with Villeneuve because the British were still in control of the Caribbean high seas, so he ordered Villeneuve to report in disgrace. Villeneuve preferred to die than be disgraced so he put his ill-prepared fleet to battle against Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar. Ironically Nelson died, while Villeneuve survived.”

St Pierre was once the capital of Martinique and at times is still referred to as the Paris of the Caribbean. It is a relatively small town but it has a very interesting past. It is also quite cultured – some interesting decorative art sculptures around the town like lots of different Totem poles.

Mt Pelee

St Pierre lies at the foot of the Mt Pelee volcano and back in 1902 it had a population of over 30,000 inhabitants. The surrounding areas were rich plantation areas of coffee, sugar, cocoa and for distilling rum, which made quite a few of the plantation owners multi – millionaires.

In 1658, the last of the Carib residents were wiped out by the European settlers and it is said that before the last ones died they uttered horrendous curses saying that the mountain would take revenge. Well on 8 May 1902 on Ascension Day, it eventually took its revenge.

In early April 1902, the volcano gave a few warnings. On April 23 a considerable eruption occurred covering the town with ash which lead to an influx of country folk into the town centre. On May 2 another major eruption happened, once again covering the town in ash and killing birds and animals.

On that very same day, a planter named Pierre Laveniere who owned an estate south of St Pierre, went with a few of his workers to inspect the crops, when they were swept away by a huge avalanche of boiling mud.

On May 5 the same fate happened north of St Pierre on the Guerin Estate when a volcanic effluent of mud, ash, lava, boiling gases and rocks buried the estate along with many of the family members and workers.

Despite the many warning, the people of St Pierre did not evacuate. Why? Well, it would have been a logistical nightmare as the roads were very primitive and under-developed and the ferries which were the main mode of transport did not have the capacity to cope with the number of people involved.

The Governor at the time was Governor Mouttet – he had only been Governor for less than a year and was hoping that the problem would just simply disappear plus he didn’t want to upset the wealthy landowners and business leaders who would have experienced huge financial loss if the city had of been evacuated. He also did not want to go against them as it would have hurt his political career. 

Other factors also prevented the city from being evacuated. One of them was the up and coming elections in which the black voters were challenging the status quo for the very first time.

A few hundred people decided to evacuate and many others were eye witness to the event as they were approaching St Pierre from Fort de France for the Ascension Day church service when the side facing St Pierre burst open and a gigantic ball similar to an atomic bomb was released. More than 29,900 people were burned to death.

Only two people survived – one was a cobbler – Leon Leandre and an inmate Auguste  Cyparis who was imprisoned for murder in a stone cell which was built in 1660 and later named after him – Cachot de Cyparis. There were twelve ships anchored in the bay – all were destroyed while one managed to escape with a few survivors on board.”

When one walks around St Pierre, you can see many of the ruins from the devastating eruption. Some buildings have been renovated and remodelled around and some of the ruins have been included in the renovations. The wrecks of the ships are dotted around the bay and are popular dive sights.

Back to present day…..

Monday morning we walked around the town centre looking at the ruins and stopping off for a cool drink and a lovely French pastry before heading to the Gauguin Art Gallery which was in Le Carbets. Gauguin spent some time in Le Carbets. We had checked with the Tourist Information Centre who informed us that it would be open – all day, every day. We took a bus to the closest bus stop to the Art Gallery and then walked to the Gallery, only to find it was closed for the summer period. I was extremely disappointed and a bit annoyed.

That evening Mel and I treated ourselves to a meal at a restaurant called Le Tamaya which was

named after one of the ships that was sunk during the volcanic eruption on Ascension Day, May 8 1902. Apparently its sister ship was meant to have joined it in the bay but arrived after Le Tamaya only to find that there wasn’t enough room in the bay for it to anchor so sailed and anchored in another bay further down the coast. It survived the eruption – obviously.

Tuesday we were keen to walk up to the top of Mt Pelee – every day the mountain had been clear of clouds but today it was covered. Ivo, Mira and Maya were adamant that they were climbing to the top whereas Mel and I were indifferent.

Mt Pelee - some of the many
 totem poles found in St Pierre

The public transport in Martinique is quite expensive and unreliable. There were not regular buses to take us to Mont Rouge (the highest town in Martinique) from which we would then have to walk 2,5km up a rather steep and windy road until we arrived at the car park which was  the entrance to the trail up to the top of Mt Pelee.

Mel and I walked up to the car park and couldn’t see the volcano or the view to the Bay from the car park – I wasn’t prepared to spend the next 2 – 3hours climbing to the top to see cloud and then another 2-3 hours climbing back down only to have to wait indefinitely for a bus which apparently doesn’t go that route in the afternoons as Ivo, Mira and Maya, later found out. Mel and I walked back down to Mont Rouge, walked around the picturesque town then caught a bus back down to St Pierre.

Wednesday we set sail for the capital city of Martinique – Fort de France.

We had a great sail – the wind was behind us so it was very comfortable. All three sails were out, we were going at 5 – 6knots in winds of about 10knots and the seas were calm. We even “fooled” around on the deck – a rule we have is nobody goes on the fore deck unless it is ABSOLUTELY necessary and not without their life jackets on. Well it was so calm that Mel went on the fore deck to have a look at the whole structure of the genoa in all its fullness and I even went ahead. It is HUGE and an amazing sight to see.

We arrived at Fort de France and our anchor was down in front of Fort St Louis just after lunch.

Fort de France, as mentioned previously is the capital of Martinique and it is a shopper’s paradise with its many Parisian type fashion bouquets and markets.

Fort St Louis

Fort St Louis dominates the peninsular. It was built in 1638 during Louis XIII rule and part of it is closed to the public as it is used by the military.

A prominent feature of the city is the Cathedrale Saint Louis which was built in the late 1800’s. It is actually built on the sight of six other churches – the first was constructed in 1671 and the Cathedral was lasted renovated in 1978. Henri Picq, a well-known French architecture designed it. Many of the island’s former governors are buried underneath the choir gallery in the Cathedral. The steeple is 57m high.

Cathedrale Saint Louis

Close to the cathedral and a building also designed by Henri Picq, is the Bibliotheque Schoelcher.

Information taken from D.K. Eyewitness Travel Caribbean pg. 378

“The Bibliotheque Schoelcher pays homage to the French abolitionist writer Victor Schoelcher. The domed coral- and – white library, a mix of architectural styles, was constructed in Paris for the 1889 World Exposition then dismantled and shipped to Fort de France and reassembled in 1893. Today it houses more than 130,000 books, many of which were donated by Schoelcher himself”

Throughout Guadeloupe and Martinique, there are many streets, buildings and parks named after Victor Schoelcher.

Thursday and Friday were spent pretty much the same way – on the boat for the main part of the morning as we were experiencing a tropical wave and boy did it rain. In the afternoon we went ashore to Mc Donald’s as there was Wi-Fi although it wasn’t exactly free. (You had to buy something and on the docket was the Wi– Fi code as well as the code for the bathrooms – they are catching on!) KFC was free so we spent most of Friday afternoon and again Saturday morning in KFC.

Sunday morning we were up bright and early and sailing out of Fort de France heading for Le Marin and St Anne’s on the south coast of Martinique.

It was an amazing sight to see as to the north one could just make out Dominica and then to the south you could see St Lucia, quite clearly and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

We passed Diamond Rock just as the heavens opened. Thank goodness Mel had reduced sail – as the wind was about 25knots!

Le Marin is the sailing mecca of Martinique. In this part of the Windward Islands, until you reach Grenada or Trinidad – it is where we can have anything we want or need arranged for your boat. Unfortunately the prices are all in Euro’s but even then SOME items are even cheaper than in the States. It is also a great place to stock up on provisions.

Just one of the marinas - so many boats

 As we were approaching Le Marin we were flabbergasting as to the amount of yacht masts we could see. We thought Georgetown in the Bahamas was full of boats/yachts – when we arrived in Georgetown there were “only” about 250 – 300 yachts (at times there has been between 700 – 800 yachts) but Le Marin takes the cake – I don’t think any photos will do it justice in describing just how many boats there are - either in the boat yards for storage, on mooring balls, in the marina or just anchored. ( I have only taken a photo of the yachts in one of the marinas)

St Anne’s is less crowded and more relaxed than Le Marin. It is where we will anchor and stay for a few days before we leave Martinique and onto our next destination.

Talking about our next destination……. Well we are not sure how long we will be in Le Marin as Mel and I are undecided whether we are going to St Lucia next or to head SE to Barbados. Ivo, Mira and Maya (Fata Morgana) are keen for us to join them to Barbados and we are tempted to go. We need a weather window that has a NE component in it and of course we have to watch out for any hurricanes. St Lucia is only 24nmiles while Barbados is an overnighter – at least 90nmiles.

Barbados is SE of the Windward Islands and not “many” yachties go to Barbados because it is not an easy sail – remember the prevailing winds are easterlies and at this time of year the winds are predominantly east or SE. Barbados only has one main anchorage and that is Carlisle Bay which is known to be a rolly anchorage.  IF we went, we would not stay for long – 2 -3 days and then head SW to Grenada where we hope to get our new solar panels. (Mel is busy organising them from the States and we just have to decide what we are doing so they can be sent out to Grenada). We would then head up north to St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines before heading back south to Trinidad and Tobago before the year end and Passages goes into storage.

Decisions, decisions decisions……. Life is tough I know!

Take care – until next time.

Love

Captain Mel and Admiral Caryn/xx

                                 

Mel fooling around on the bow sprit - He was doing his Titanic bit

                                                       

Week 39 September 8 – 14 2014

Over this past week, I have been thinking a lot about our “other” life – our life in Perth (this is mainly because I received an email from work/school, concerning next year – reality check!!!). I started thinking about the things I miss about home and the things I would miss on the boat.

The NE coast line of Dominica

I asked myself “What do you miss about your “other” life?” Of course on the top of the list are my family and friends! I miss just being able to get in my car (with air con) and go down to the shops and buy anything I want, I miss the dishwasher and the washing machine, especially when I have to do our laundry by hand as there are no Laundromats around and we are running out of clothes (we are not always in our swimming costumes although we do spend most of our time in them).

I also asked myself “What would I miss about being on the boat?” – Top of this list is the complete sense of freedom to travel and stay anywhere we want to - anywhere where we can safely drop our anchor. Meeting so many interesting people from all different walks of life, the many different cultures we come across, the different foods we have tasted and experienced, the absolutely beautiful sights, sounds and scenery we have been privileged to see and experience.

For example, this week Tuesday we decided to hire a car and drive to some of the waterfalls in Dominica. We were going to take the local transportation but soon realised that it would be much cheaper and quicker for us to hire a car than to have to wait to catch all the buses we would have to catch in order to see the sights we wanted to see.

We (Mel and I and Ivo, Mira and Maya) were crammed into the cheapest car we could get and headed to the NE part of the island. We were keen to see some of the places where Pirates of the Caribbean part 2 were filmed, to see the beautiful and varied vegetation of the island, to see a few of the many waterfalls along the way and to go through the Carib Province (see Week 38).

Most of the roads in the north and east of the island are very narrow and not very well maintained but the scenery is spectacular!

We came across the road leading to the Chaudiere Pools. After a short walk on a trail, we came

Mel, Ivo and Maya about to
jump into the Chaudiere Pools

across what we thought were the Chaudiere Pools. We were enjoying a refreshing swim when a local passed by and said that the Chaudiere Pools were around the corner!

One could jump into the pools as the water was over 40ft deep. We spent about 20 minutes enjoying the surroundings and the fresh cool water and breeze as we were quite high up in the mountains.

Back on the road again, passing Hampstead Bay where the Waterwheel Fight Scene was and Londonderry Bay, where the Chase Scene was filmed in Pirates of the Caribbean. We drove through the Carib Territory stopping off to have a look at the lovely basket work the ladies do. The Carib people are easily recognisable as they have different (lighter) skin tones and facial features (South American Indians) to the rest of the population.

Mel and I enjoying the
 Emerald Pools and Falls

We drove onto the Emerald Pools and Falls - this was only a 10 min walk to the pools and falls. The water was freezing when we first went in but as we became used to it, it was so refreshing. Mel had a hard back massage when he stood under the falls.

Back on the road and now heading for the town of Canefield where we knew we could get our gas bottles refilled while we waited. We eventually found the place after asking many people where it was and our bottles were filled in less than 15 minutes. We stopped off at a local restaurant to have lunch before heading to Trafalgar Falls.

The Trafalgar Falls are twin falls – often they are referred to as the Father and Mother falls. The one on the left which is the larger of the

The lovely hot springs at Trafalgar Falls

two, is known as the Father while the “smaller” one on the right is known as the Mother. There is a hydroelectric plant at the base of the falls. On the trail between the two falls, there is a lovely hot spring which we relaxed in before making our way back to the car.

After seeing the Trafalgar falls we realised that it was time to make our way back up north to Portsmouth. Trafalgar Falls was a relatively short drive from the capital of Dominica, Roseau. (We were planning on sailing down to Roseau later in the week).

Wednesday and Thursday we spent on the boat cleaning and polishing her – we went into town each day to buy some fresh fruit and veggies from the local market.

Friday morning we decided we would sail to Roseau which is the capital and main town of Dominica which was 22nm south from Portsmouth.

By 9.00am we were saying a fond farewell to Portsmouth – we had been anchored there for over 10 days.

The sail to Roseau was a lovely easy sail, passing places that we had driven through on Tuesday like Salisbury, Mero and Canefield, arriving in Roseau just after 2.00pm.

Roseau - where we took a
mooring ball from Pancho

There is not much anchoring in Roseau as the drop off is extremely deep and the shelf is extremely small and very close to the shore. There are mooring balls but they are “privately owned” by the locals. We managed to get a mooring ball from Pancho for two nights (Friday and Saturday) as we were planning on leaving Dominica on Sunday for Martinique.

After securing the mooring ball from Pancho, we went for a snorkel, as close to the boat was a boulder that had some interesting sea life around it.

We are finding (obviously) that the further south we head, the hotter it is becoming. It is not so much the temperature but the humidity that we are struggling with so most days we have a few swims/snorkels around the boat.

After our refreshing swim we went for a walk along the main road as Budget Marine was there and we wanted to see what time they would be open in the morning. As I have said countless times, there is ALWAYS something we need for the boat.

Saturday morning we went into the centre of Roseau to look at the various markets – craft, veggies and basket. The town has some interesting and unique buildings. The main Library has a beautiful view of the whole bay and it is opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Photo taken by Mira with the Go Pro

Saturday afternoon we caught a bus down to one of the areas called Champagne Reef that lies within a marine park. Mira from Fata Morgana had been told about the champagne reef and that it was a must see. This is where sulphur bubbles out from the sea bed causing bubbles to rise towards the surface, similar to champagne in a glass.

It was an amazing sight to see and to swim in, over, through the bubbles. The sea life was prolific – we saw a HUGE crayfish, an eel that was trying very hard to get some food from under the rock which was covered in seaweed, lots of little fish – butterfly fish and a few rather large parrot fish munching away at the coral.

We spent about an hour and half snorkelling before we started making our way back to Roseau.

 
Sunday morning bright and early – 6.00am we were saying “Good bye” to Dominica and heading towards Martinique.

We had an enjoyable sail with winds of between 15 – 20knots. Mel was very happy as he had all three sails out – I was okay when I got used to the feeling of heeling - I still struggle when I see the back of the boat – what appears to me to be heeling half into the water.

As always, as we came parallel to the main land, the wind died – it went down to 2knots and at one stage we were actually going backwards.  While we were drifting, we saw the biggest pod of dolphins we had ever seen. I tried to take a video of them but as you can see it is quite difficult holding a small camera, filming while on a boat. We were adamant that we were not going to put the motor on – Mel was keen to try the spinnaker, but we found some wind and we headed right into St Pierre, Martinique arriving just after 2.00pm.

St Pierre with Mount Pelee in the background

Once again the area for anchoring in St Pierre was not great – it is very deep quite close to the water’s edge and there is a very small sandy shelf but with the help of Fata Morgana we found a nice sandy spot to drop the anchor.

The anchor was down and we were in the water – Mel to check the anchor, while I swam across to Fata Morgana for a chat.

Here we are in Martinique – St Pierre which is often referred to a Petite Paris.

So many interesting places to see, people to meet and food to taste. It will be quite difficult going back to the “normal” routine of life but we still have a few more months to worry about that. Let’s see what next week brings.

Keep well and take care.

Love

Captain Mel and Admiral Caryn/xx

 

 

 

The Library in Roseau

 

 

Some of the sights of Roseau

 

Mel and I enjoying ourselves - Mira took this photo using the Go Pro

Trafalgar Falls

Passages anchored off St Pierre





 

Week 38 September 1 to 7 2014

Where is the time going to – September already. Officially 1st September is the middle of the hurricane season. We know that if needed we have at least 4 to 5 days warning and a 2 day sail down to Grenada, or a 3 day sail to Trinidad so we are always watching the weather.

Monday morning Mel was at the Customs and Immigration Offices by 8.00am so we could check out of Guadeloupe while I went to the market to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables for the next few days. Of course I had to go passed a “Boulangerie” French for Bakery.

Portsmouth from Fort Shirley - Passages
is anchored in the bay.

We were sailing towards Portsmouth, Dominica by 9.30am. The weather and wind looked like we would have a good sail to Dominica which was approximately 26nm from Grand Bourg, (Marie-Galante) Guadeloupe.

We experienced a mixture of wind – in the range of 7 – 30 knots and sea swells, flat to 2 metres. We eventually arrived and had the anchor down in Portsmouth by 3.00pm, in time for Mel to check us in at Immigrations and Customs.

 Dominica is known and often referred to as the nature island of the Caribbean. Carib Native Americans were one of the first known inhabitants of Dominica and the Spanish for some reason or other did not eliminate them completely like they did on other Caribbean islands.

“The Caribs were warlike Indians who migrated north from South America in about 1000AD.They settled on Dominica, driving out the peaceful Arawaks who had arrived 1000 years earlier. About 2000 Caribs still live on the island they call Waitikubuli (tall is her body) and in 1903, Queen Victoria gave approximately 3700 acres of land to the descendants of the original inhabitants of Dominica. This is the Carib Territory in SE of Dominica.

Maroons are the slaves, who in the late 18^th century, escaped from the surrounding islands and took refuge in the lush, mountainous forests. They developed many inland trails, allowing them to travel faster overland. Many of these trails still exist today. The Maroons often raided the settlements, encouraging other slaves from neighbouring islands to join them in their fight against the British troops. It wasn’t until 1814 when they were finally defeated and their leader executed. 

In 1848 after emancipation the island became a refuge for slaves who were trying to escape from the neighbouring French islands where slavery was still practised.”

Information taken from DK Eyewitness Travel Caribbean.

Through Dominica’s history it has changed hands quite a few times, from the Spanish, to the French, to the British, back to the French and then again to the British. Dominica is part of the British Commonwealth.

The start of the Indian River.

Dominica is very mountainous and lush – when Christopher Columbus (he first sighted Dominica on Sunday 3 November 1493) went back to Spain and tried to describe the terrain of Dominica to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, he crumpled up a piece of paper.  For this reason, the growing of sugar cane was not viable but it produces enough fruit and vegetables for local consumption and for export.

There are MANY trails and waterfalls across the island.

I have mentioned this before but within the sailing community there is a saying “Sailing is Maintenance in paradise” – well Week 38 certainly was that.

We have been making water on a regular basis, but we noticed our fresh water tank was on empty! Thank goodness we have over 21 gallons of fresh water in jerry cans. We also noticed that the water pump was on constantly which meant we must have a leak somewhere!

Our fridge had also gone on the blink – thank goodness the freezer hadn’t! PLUS our shower sump pump wasn’t working – this is next to the bilge pump. The bilge pump prevents any water accumulating in the hull of the boat. When it reaches a certain level, the water is pumped out of the boat and back into the sea. The shower sump pump is meant to do the same thing – when we shower, the water runs into the shower sump, when it reaches a certain level, it automatically pumps the water out into the sea. If it should overflow, it flows into the bilge.

Tuesday was spent finding the leak which Mel did rather quickly so we could make water again and fill our water tank. He also managed to fix the fridge but the shower sump pump, is another story.

We think the pipe is blocked and we need some strong chemical to unblock it. We know of one chemical that we can use which is only sold at the main marine stores – the next one is only in Grenada – otherwise “we” may have to replace the whole pipe like we had to do with our heads (toilet).

Calypso's shack

In Portsmouth, the Indian River is a major attraction particularly since part of it featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean part 2. The river bends and winds between lush vegetation with huge swamp bloodwood trees along the rivers banks. The fish, bird and insect life are abundant and plentiful and the trees and vines, at times, form a canopy overhead. In one of the narrow, side tributaries of the river is a little shack that was home to Calypso the witch in the Pirates of the Caribbean part 2.

In Portsmouth and apparently in quite a few of the other Caribbean islands that we still have to visit, there is a system where you have the services of boat boys. PAYS is the organisation that most of the “legitimate” boat boys fall under. They are a group of men who are registered “tour/taxi drivers”. When you arrive in Portsmouth some sailors have been known to be inundated with boat boys trying to get some business from you, whether it is taking you on a tour to where-ever, taking your rubbish away for you for a fee, buying fresh fruit and vegetables from them, taking you up the Indian River or some other trail that you want to go on – everything at a price of course!

In quite a few of the information books we have, it states that to go on various trails, you should or “must” have a tour guide with you. This can work out to be quite expensive and most yachties are on a budget, some tighter than others.

We were told that the only way to see the Indian River was with one of the PAYS men, so on

Along the Indian River

Wednesday we arranged with Albert to collect us (Fata Morgana, Bev, Mel and I) and take us on a 2 hour trip along the Indian River. No outboard motors are allowed on the Indian River as they are trying to keep the river as clean and as litter free as possible – this is what “they” lead us to believe.

We had an enjoyable two hour trip along the Indian River, but I was extremely disappointed by the amount of litter along the banks of the river. In fact the litter in Portsmouth is disturbing as well. Dominica advertises that it is the Nature Island of the Caribbean and that their emphasis is on ecotourism – I am all for this and it is the way to go BUT they need to do something about the HUGE litter problem in the towns and along the rivers and roads.

In Guadeloupe we noticed that on many of the street corners, were big rubbish dumpsters. Some were for recyclable goods like plastic bottles. Guadeloupe was clean!!! Yes I know recycling is expensive and Guadeloupe is a “part” of France, but if everyone picked up their litter and put it in the readily available dumpsters, it would make such a difference. We have been on quite a few walks since arriving in Portsmouth, Dominica and along all of them, there is litter – plastic bottles and bags!

Anyway back to the Indian River….. Back to Wednesday…. After the Indian River we relaxed and continued doing the many chores that need to be done on a yacht.

Fort Shirley

Thursday afternoon, we (Mel and I) and Mira, Ivo and Maya went to Fort Shirley which is part of the Cabrits National Park and went on one of the walks and trails within the grounds of the Fort.

Fort Shirley was once the site of one of the most impressive 18^th century military installations in the West Indies and it is slowly being restored to its former self.

The swamp grove snake

While we were on one of these trails, we came across a Swamp Grove snake. I screamed blue murder and wished I could fly, while Mel went to get a closer look so he could take a photo. They are harmless and pretty small but as far as I am concerned, a snake is a snake is a snake!

Friday we decided to catch a bus and to go to the Bwa Nef Waterfalls and one of the only cold fumaroles in the Caribbean – Cold Soufriere (cold sulphur vapours escaping as opposed to hot sulphur vapours escaping).

The Bwa Nef Waterfalls

The bus driver was extremely helpful and dropped us off at the start of the 20 – 30min trail to the Bwa Nef waterfalls. We climbed over rocks and boulders, over pools and streams of water until we came to the Bwa Nef waterfalls. It was in an amphitheatre of solid rock. Some of the locals refer to it as the Bat Cave as at times there are lots of bats flying around. It was quite lovely. We didn’t go for a swim in the pool as it was very shallow.

On our way back to the main road, Ivo and Mel saw two bunches of bananas growing in the wild. If any fruit is growing in the wild and is not on someone’s plantation or small holding, you are free to take it. That is why nobody in Dominica should starve or be unhealthy as there is so much fruit growing in the wild, along the road side.

Ivo with his bunches
 of free bananas

Ivo, who is always so enthusiastic when he sees “free” food, started cutting down the bananas. Mel was there to assist him. We each have a full bunch of bananas hanging up on our boom, waiting to be eaten as they mature.  I have and will be making banana bread over the next few days.

Half an hour later we were back up at the main road and walking towards Penville, the nearest village where we knew we would be able to catch a bus to the Cold Soufriere.

The Cold Soufriere was interesting and of course rather smelly.

At the Cold Soufriere

After spending some time at the Cold Soufriere we caught another bus back to Portsmouth.

Friday afternoon we spent time doing the more chores on the boat, while Mira, Ivo and Maya went down the Indian River on their kayak armed with some big refuse bags ready to do some cleaning up of the river.

Mira, from Fata Morgana, is a photographer, she takes AMAZING photos and is always snapping away. She was keen to go back to the Indian River to take more photos but as many of the boat boys said, one is not allowed to go down the Indian River without a guide. Mira spoke to one of the park officials, asking if she, Ivo and Maya went to the Indian River in their kayak with some big black garbage bags to do some clearing up of the litter, would they be allowed to go. One of the officials said that would be acceptable.

They came back rather disappointed and disillusioned as while they were rowing down the river and

At the Cold Soufriere

picking up the litter along the river, they came across a HUGE dump site where the river meets the road. When they arrived back at the mouth of the Indian River, another Official who hadn’t given them permission to go down the river, wanted to charge them for the two garbage bags of litter they had collected.

It is extremely disappointing and the Indian River excursion is a bit of a farce, as we were lead to believe that “everyone” is concerned about and making an effort to keep the Indian River in pristine condition BUT in reality there is litter EVERYWHERE!!!

Saturday morning like in many other places around the world, is market day. Mel and I went into town to have a look at all of the local produce on sale at the market. The fruits and vegetables are so cheap and fresh, free of any preservatives and chemicals.

Sunday was spent catching up on emails and contact with home so we walked to Fort Shirley as we knew the café there had good, fast, free and reliable Wi – Fi.

Week 38 is done and dusted! Our plans are to stay in Portsmouth for a few more days as we intend hiring a car so we can see a bit more of Dominica and its many beautiful waterfalls. We will then head south to the capital, Roseau where we will stay for only 1 – 2 nights before heading on to Martinique which is the start of the Windward Islands.

Until next time – keep well.

Take care.

Captain Mel and Admiral Caryn/xx

Week 37 August 25 - 31 2014

It is official, Mel is in love with another woman!

We were sailing between Iles de Saintes and Pointe A Pitre, when Mel said to me “She is just so great! I am so in love with Passages! She tracks so well!”  I think I can live with the idea that Mel has another “woman” in his life – she is not of the two legged, human variety, so my ego is still in tack. I replied “Of course you love her, she does exactly as you ask of her, she doesn’t talk back to you BUT oh boy is she high maintenance!”

Back to Monday – we went back into Bourg De Saintes (the main town of Iles de Saintes) to find free Wi– Fi as we were concerned about a tropical storm brewing in the Atlantic that could affect us. It is the never ending saga of sailing – finding Wi– Fi to download the all-important weather.

Afterwards we walked around town, killing time as we needed some provisions from the local Carreforre supermarket, which was only opening at 3.30pm! We went for a swim amongst the many fishing boats moored off the beach – the water was rather hot and not as refreshing as we would have liked it to have been.

We bought some of the local delicacies called “Tourment d’amour”. They come in a variety of flavours – guava, coconut, passion fruit and pineapple. It is a small tart with pie crust pastry,

 
jam and covered with sponge cake.

Tuesday morning our anchor was up by 6.30am and we were sailing to Guadeloupe’s biggest city – Pointe A Pitre. It was an enjoyable sail except for all the sea grass that got caught in our fishing line and the effort it took to retrieve the line and lure as a result. We anchored off in a large area quite close to the main commercial port.

The main waterfront market area

Pointe A Pitre is the largest city in Guadeloupe – it is full of historical significance as in the huge Place de la Victoire (Victory Square) – there was once a guillotine used here during the French Revolution. In front of the Place de la Victoire are many fishing boats selling their catch and street vendors selling fresh produce. In another square close by (can’t remember its name) there are many vendors selling all different spices. The smells are quite intoxicating.

As usual, once we have set the anchor, the dinghy goes down and it is time to explore. We went to

The Spice Market

the main marina to find out if there was anyone who could help us with solar panels – well no such luck as it would take over a month to get the panels if we ordered them now. Oh dear, we will just have to wait until we get down to Grenada or Trinidad.

We made our way back to the boat and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon/evening relaxing on the boat.

Wednesday morning we went to KFC as we had been told by Fata Morgana that they had free Wi-Fi. We wanted to check on the tropical disturbance off the coast of Africa, to see how it was developing and how it would affect us. We knew that during the evening (Wednesday evening) we would experience winds of over 25knots maybe gusting to 35knots.

The fish market

After downloading the weather (the tropical wave had disappeared – we had good sailing days ahead) and checking our emails, we walked around the square mentioned earlier where all the spices were being sold, bought some fruit from one of the local vendors and walked down a few of the streets to see what was there. Just lots of shops full of the usual commercial goodies.

We went passed Fata Morgana to see if they were keen on seeing the waterfalls that are in the Parc Nationale de la Guadeloupe – the most impressive and highest one being the Les Chutes Du Carbet that sits on the east slope of La Soufriere volcano ( the one we climbed to the very top last week!).

We knew we would have to hire a car and since Mira can speak French, Mel was keen to take her with when he was organising the hiring of a car for Thursday.

Later that afternoon Mel, Mira and Ivo went to arrange a car for us for Thursday. While they were

gone a bit of excitement happened in the harbour channel, when one of the many ferries that go between Iles de Saintes and Marie Galante, experienced engine trouble. They were drifting towards the coral reef when luckily another ferry came to their rescue. No sooner had both ferries docked, when the winds started howling. I was a bit concerned for Mel as he had to make his way back to the boat in windy, rainy and choppy seas conditions.

Wednesday evening, the heavens opened and the wind blew hard and strong as predicted. We had just finished our dinner when we heard on the radio from another boat close by that another boat closer to them had started to drag. Thank goodness the anchor rest itself as it could have easily landed on a reef or on the small island close by.

Wednesday night was an interrupted night as the wind gusts were incredible and thankfully our anchor held strong and fast.

Early Thursday morning, as planned, we were at the hired car place when they opened at 8.00am and we were in the little car we had for the day by 9.00am heading for the waterfalls.

There are three waterfalls – they vary on height and in accessibility. The smallest one is closed. The middle sized one (110m) is the most popular because of its “easy” accessibility and the largest one Les Chutes Du Carbet (115m) is the highest and the most difficult to climb to.

We started walking at about 10.00am – you go down into the valley passed the entrance to the middle waterfalls and then up another valley, down then up, then down and up once again. It was exhausting!!! Part of the way has stairs and walk ways but there are parts that you just have to climb, sometimes climbing on all fours.

It was well worth it! Mel had a swim under the waterfalls in the main rock pool. I was just grateful to put my very tired legs and feet in the very cold water.

On our way back to the car park, we stopped off at the middle waterfalls. You can’t get very close to it as with the big waterfall, although we did see people climbing over the “Do Not Enter” fence and gate and going to the bottom of the waterfalls.

When we reached the car, we all had a great sense of achievement as we now had seen and climbed to all of the main waterfalls found in Guadeloupe AND we had climbed to the top of the volcano (highest point in the eastern Caribbean)!

Friday we decided to sail to Marie Galante – another island belonging to Guadeloupe but south – almost halfway to Dominica.

St Louis beachfront

We had a great sail to St Louis which is in the NW corner of Marie Galante.

It is said Christopher Columbus ran out of names of saints so named the island after one of his boats.

Marie Galante produces mainly sugar for the local rum industry and seventy three of the original windmills can be found around the island.

After putting down the anchor, the usual procedure happened – the dinghy goes down and we go on land to explore. Well it was a bit of a disappointment as nothing seemed to be open! Yes it was a Friday afternoon but it was 3.30pm when most shops are meant to be open!

Our plan was to sail to the main town of Marie Galante, Grand Bourg which was where we could clear out of Guadeloupe before sailing to Dominica on Monday.

We knew that there wasn’t sufficient space at the inner anchorage in Grand Bourg (Fata Morgana and Bev, were already there so we knew what was going on) and that if we sailed down to Grand Bourg, we would have to anchor outside the main anchoring area and be subjected to an uncomfortable swell. Mel and I decided to stay an extra day – Saturday, anchored off at St Louis and to catch up with the inevitable boat chores.

The main town square in Grand Bourg

Sunday morning we had a very comfortable sail to Grand Bourg and anchored in the very small anchorage within the harbour walls. The ferries come and go in this harbour as well and seem to come up very close to the yachts. We spent the afternoon going for a walk to the rum distillery which unfortunately was closed by the time we arrived there.

 While we were relaxing on the yacht, Mel looked around with a smile on his face – I asked what he was smiling about – he said “I am quite content as I have the two most important women in my life with me”. Oh dear!!!

On that note I will leave you for this week… we are off to Dominica tomorrow which promises to be another place full of challenges – physically!

Until next time – take care.

Love

Captain Mel and Admiral Caryn/xx

 

 

 

 

 

On our walk up to the waterfalls

 


Relaxing at the waterfalls

 

The ferry coming very close to our boat while we were anchored at Grand Bourg