Waves, mooring wars and trees

Moorglade's Voyage
Ted Wilson
Tue 1 Feb 2011 00:53
Our position is 15:17.25N 61:22.62W
We did leave Martinique on Sunday, but not exactly
at first light. The first part of the trip across the Rade de St Pierre to
Pointe la Mare was a cracking reach under full sail, where Moorglade proved the
equal of a catamaran leaving at the same time and was touching 7.5 knots.
However once round the headland and still off the NE coat of Martinique the wind
died away to virtually nothing in the shadow of Mt Pelee. Much frustration
followed but eventually we made it out into the Dominica-Martinique Channel
where the wind was a steady 15-20 kn ENE. This made for quite an uncomfortable
close fetch, with 2 reefs in the main, and the waves coming across the boat
and quite a few breaking into the cockpit. We didn't stay wet for long as the
sun was hot, but we ended up pretty salt encrusted. After 3 hours we were
pleased to be in the lee of Scotts Head at the SW corner of Dominica where the
sea was a lot calmer and the winds much lighter. In fact we had to motor to lay
the course to the Roseau anchorage.
About 3 miles out we were approached by a boat at
full speed. Pancho was gloating that he had beaten the other boat boy because
his engine was bigger. He asked if we wanted a buoy and when we said yes razzed
off at top speed and vanished. The slower boat then arrived, stated he was Sea
Cat's representative, Jason, and offered us a free buoy, which he
accompanied us to at a speed we were able to achieve. When we arrived at the
free buoy (sited about as far as it was possible to get from the town) Pancho
reappeared and an almighty slanging match ensued where they both accused each
other of lying and Pancho stated that the buoy was not available as a boat had
only vacated it temporarily and Jason wasn't from Sea Cat in any case. I went
below to radio Sea Cat and see if I could get some truth out of someone but
no-one answered. (It later transpired that Jason had the Sea Cat radio but had
left it on charge) While I was below Pancho charged off again at full speed (I
think he spotted some more lucrative fish to fry) and Ted established that the
buoy in question was some sort of community buoy and that we could have a proper
Sea Cat buoy, nearer the town for $10. Pancho responded to my radio calls to Sea
Cat and stated that he was withdrawing from the fray and going to tow someone in
with engine failure. Much later, after we were safely moored up, he stopped by
to apologise for the fracas. Jason in the mean time had claimed to be sueing
Pancho for some injury he had suffered when Pancho drove his boat over him! We
enjoyed the sunset, but still didn't see the elusive green flash.
We awoke early the next morning (but not as early
as we should have owing to my phone resetting its time zone in the
night) and headed in to clear customs. A painless process as we had given
advance notice on the internet using the e-sea clearance available in some of
the islands. We had expressed interest in doing a trip with Sea Cat and no
sooner were we back from Customs than he was raring to go. After a brief detour
to drop his mother off at hospital for some therapy on her back we were off to
see if the aerial tramway was open. In the book it says it only opens on cruise
ship days but then it's really crowded. There was one small cruise ship tied up
to the dock so I was a bit hopeful and sure enough, when we got there not only
was it running, but there was hardly anyone there. We had a gondola intended for
eight (and Pearl our guide) all to ourselves. The tramway runs through a dense
rain forest. One direction is taken relatively low down and the return
is at tree top height. At the halfway stage you get out and walk through
the trees and over a bridge suspended over a deep river gorge. It was a
fascinating experience to be up amongst the trees with only the sound of
birdsong. The slight disppointment was that for all the birdsong, sightings of
the birds were very few as they are very elusive.
Back on the ground it was off to Titou Gorge to
swim up to a waterfall (or in our case nearly to a waterfall, as the force of
the current was more than even Ted could swim against). The site was somwhat
unscenically situated near to some of the workings connected to the hydro
electric scheme, but the gorge was natural and the water not as cold as I had
feared. By then we were feeling hungry so we were taken to a roadside cafe where
we ate curried goat while overlooking a waterfall and trying to photograph a
humming bird feeding on a tree just beside the window. The curried goat was
accompanied by undressed coleslaw and what the lady in charge called
'provisions' which turned out to be large pieces of breadfruit, yam, sweet
potato and plantain. It was all delicious.
After lunch we were off to Trafalgar Falls. No
fears about swimming after eating - we clambered over the rocks to the pool at
the bottom of the waterfall and had yet another unsuccessful attempt to swim up
to the bottom of the fall or even behind it. The force of the water was immense.
After the cold waterfall swim it was a real luxury to relax in the hot springs -
hotter than any shower we've managed on the boat - and an interesting pink
colour. Again we had all this to ourselves although quite a big party of French
people turned up as we were leaving.
By then Sea Cat reckoned he was on overtime but he
still took us to see the sulphur pools and demonstrated the heat that lies just
below the surface by heating up a stick and a leaf. He claimed the island was
thinking about tapping the geothermic energy rather than just relying on hydro
electric power, and it certainly seemed a waste not to. There was just time to
drive through the botanical gardens and up to a view point above the city and
then it was back to the boat to fit the mosquito nets and hope it won't be too
rolly tonight.
![]() ![]() Safely on a mooring in Roseau Bay,
Dominica
At
the start of the aerial tramway ride
![]() ![]() Views on the ascent of the aerial
tramway
The suspension bridge we walked
over
![]() ![]() On the bridge (it was quite
bouncy!)
Ted, Pearl and a red
forest palm
![]() ![]() Tree top views
![]() ![]() Walking to Titou Gorge (the pipe is
wooden) The pool at
the start of the swim to the waterfall at Titou Gorge
![]() ![]() Ted strikes out into the unknown
But we both got back unscathed. The water
coming out from above was really hot
![]() ![]() Eating curried goat
The elusive humming
bird
![]() ![]() Trafalgar Falls
The path to the bottom of the
waterfall
![]() ![]() It was much easier to swim in this
direction
Relaxing in the hot pools
![]() ![]() Sulphur springs
Cannon ball tree at the Botanic
Gardens
![]() ![]() Not our
bus!
New Chinese built cricket ground
|