15:34.76N  61:27.71W

 

Tuesday 15 April 2014

 

Distance Run  48 nm

 

Our aim was to sail to the capital, Roseau on the west coast of Dominica towards the south of the island.  We left at about 7.30am to cross the open water passage before the winds increased.  The first hour and a half gave the new engine a bit of a run as the winds were very light under the lee of Martinique.

 

 

Leaving under a cloudy sky:-

 

 

 

 

And then the sun came out.  Time for a cup of tea:-

 

 

 

 

We had reefed the sails down in anticipation of strong winds in the 26 mile stretch of open water between the islands.  I had not been convinced of the need for this as the winds were much lighter than our other inter-island passages but Lin had insisted on the basis it would be easier to shake out the reefs if they were not necessary than it would be doing the reverse if it was very windy.  Lin was right and after a short spell of the wind direction going around the clock it eventually came in from the east with a blast!

 

 

Another very pleasant time sailing:-

 

 

 

As we approached Dominica we shook out the reefs as the wind calmed and having reached Roseau earlier than expected decided to continue 20 miles up the coast to Portsmouth at the northern end.

 

The island is much higher than many in the Caribbean and has a lot of tropical rainforest as a result.  Some of the peaks:-

 

 

 

Soon after 3.30pm we had anchored in Portsmouth harbour.  We were soon approached by two boat boys selling fruit and vegetables but they were not persistent and accepted with good grace that we were fully stocked.  Dominica once had a reputation for aggressive boat boys and a high level of theft from yachts .  In recent years they have organised themselves so that they now provide a friendly service and patrol the anchorages at night to provide security.  The result of course is that yachts no longer by-pass the island and stay a little longer than in some other places.  Certainly those we met were polite and friendly.