Dominica, the Nature Island

Dominica - 09
Originally uploaded by brisegalets

This is a very wet stop, but it is worth it. We sailed from Martinique to Roseau through a stream of continuous thunderstorms and showers and we arrived in the rain. Actually, we got there by night and I had no idea where to anchor. The shelf is very narrow, if you want to anchor with less then 40 feet, you feel like you are anchoring on the beach, We spent a very uncomfortable night there as this anchorage creates continuous heavy rolling. Early morning, as we had almost decided that Roseau was not worth it, we went to have a look on the other side of the cruise ship wharf and found the place where we should have been. Still a little bit uncomfortable, but there were moorings available and facilities to go ashore. Plus an excellent and free Wifi connection.
Roseau is a small but very charming little town, I am not sure that the big cruise ships coming in every day with probably several thousands tourists on board are not a threat to the charm of this place. But it provides probably an alternative income for the island where, we were told, the agriculture is becoming less and less productive. The first day was dedicated to discovering the town and finding out what was available. Then Patricia and Olivier went to visit the botanic garden while I stayed on Papy Jovial to update my work. Next, Patricia and Alice went to swim in the bubbles in Champagne. All that with almost continuous rain.
We then went, altogether to the Trafalgar falls, again in the rain, but it did not matter all that much as the temperature is very comfortable and the rain is not cold at all. The day ended with a nice dinner in what appears to be the only restaurant open for supper.
This morning, we left very early to motor up to Portsmouth which has the reputation of being a much better anchorage. And it is. There is much less swell and only a minimal rolling. After touring the village which is much smaller than Roseau, we returned to the boat having planned a ride up the Indian River tomorrow.