One of the Smaller Boats!

The fast ferry was just that and we docked in Charlotte Amalie at 0750, then having the day to explore the capital of the USVI. We watched the seaplane or airboat as it is called locally, take off and land several times in the bay, quite close to other boats.

Seaplane Landing

It was an interesting place for many reasons, not least the 7500 plus tourists from the 3 huge cruise ships who were herded down the Main Street. Although this is a beautifully restored area, it is full of duty-free shops for the tourists and you needed to run the gauntlet past salesmen literally trying to drag you into their stores!

It was far cheaper than the BVI though, so we bought some swimwear and rum – what else do we need!! On the return ferry people were carrying diverse items from car tyres to huge packs of loo rolls. Customs into the BVI was a long wait!

Lane off Main Street

We walked on to the swanky marina which had shops for the rich owners of the super-yachts berthed there. Louis Vuitton was one but there were no small sailing yachts around and all the pontoons were high, concrete and fixed, so it would be difficult to berth anyway. The marina even had a spa, outside swimming pool, tennis and volleyball courts on site.

Local Taxi

Further on we reached the cruise liner terminal. Another trap for the unwary, with 7 huge shopping malls full of diamonds, watches, alcohol and souvenirs. The ships were impressive but we had had a flavour of this cruise during our walk up Main Street, when we were mistaken many times for being ‘off the ship’. One man standing outside a shop said ‘this shop was mentioned in your talk this morning’, so we assume the holiday makers are guided to the ‘right’ shops and many were carrying pre-printed lists. I am sure not all cruises are like this but it seemed to suit those we met.

Government Building

The town itself is a mix of duty free shops, a few bars and backstreets in need of updating. The government buildings were on the waterfront and we were amused to see the deep ruts in the grass alongside a sign saying ‘Do Not Park on the Grass’. Another sign in a shop window was ‘No Solicitors’ and one at the ferry terminal said ‘No Loud Music, No Litter, No Barking’. The pedestrian crossings and yellow school buses were straight from the USA and the taxis were very nicely painted. We saw a small car ferry with palm trees on the deck for decoration and wondered how the drivers manage to drive on the left in left hand drive cars. We found it an interesting place to visit.

No Parking on the Grass!

We sailed from Soper’s Hole on Friday morning but it was just a short hop of 5 miles to Cane Garden Bay where the moorings are 25 US$ a night. Rob and I haven’t sailed the boat alone since mid-October, so it is time to get used to sailing her ourselves again! You can easily pick up a mooring during the day for free but at sunset the charge is collected for overnight stays. They have a dock here with ice, fuel, gas and water, so we will get a replacement gas bottle, which is the only one we used over the last month. We still have nearly all the water we bought in Dominica as we have only used the front tank, which the water maker tops up when we run the generator or engine.

We want to visit Sandy Cay on our way to Jost Van Dyke, where we can clear out of the BVI in Grand Harbour. On Tuesday we plan to sail to St John’s to clear into the USVI in Cruz Bay and spend 10 days or so cruising there. Moorings are much cheaper and we expect food, fuel and water to also be less expensive than in the BVI.

Beach at The Bight, Norman Island

During our trip to Norman Island to meet up with our friends on ‘Salila’ we went through a nasty squall with the wind increasing by over 10 kts and visibility in the heavy rain down to less than 100 metres. We were towing the dinghy with the outboard attached, as it was only 6 miles but in the end it was a 12 mile trip as we were tacking up the Sir Francis Drake Channel against the wind.

Sunset at The Bight

The dinghy survived the trip well but once we picked up the mooring buoy in The Bight, the large bay on Norman Island, the gusts must have caught the dinghy on a wave and it was completely flipped over and upside down in the water! Outboards tend not to like being submerged and we didn’t hold out much hope for it, even if it was still attached. As luck would have it, the outboard did run again after Rob immediately took the spark plugs out, changed the oil and sprayed it all with WD-40. It is a 4 stroke 6hp Suzuki, now named Lucky ☺

The first night Peter, Fiona and Larry came over for a drink, then we all went to Willie T’s the infamous anchored ship in the bay where in the past any woman keen to take all her clothes off and jump into the water from the high top deck would get a t-shirt. Sadly, this is no longer encouraged as the health and safety officials decided it was a bad idea and if you do jump now you have to buy your own t-shirt. So we passed on that one! We had a great meal there though and lots of rum punches, another expensive night on top of 30 US$ a night for the buoy. At least that is for any size of vessel, so we pay the same as a 60 footer or a 20 footer.

Next day we spent 12 hours on Salila, having a BBQ, more rum and snorkelling to the nearby reef to see the beautiful coral and different coloured fish. No sharks though. Salila is a catamaran and the trampolines are perfect for lying back and star gazing. We all sang along to Abba songs and generally had a great time. Around 8pm we heard some coughing and spluttering and a german doctor had decided to swim from his boat to ours to say hello. He was as he said, ‘in a critical situation’ i.e. completely naked, so we found a small towel and he joined us for a while. He promised the men aboard that there were 8 18-25 year old girls on his boat but we think he was dreaming as we didn’t see any! Very entertaining company and it was good to meet up with all on Salila again we haven’t seen them since December 18th.

Larry Manning the BBQ

We also managed to catch up with Brian and Penny and family during their holiday here. They have a boat a few berths up from where we were in Haslar Marina, so it was good to see familiar faces from our past life, although it does make us realise how far away we now are.

Jack has been with us a month now but returns to the UK tomorrow, apparently to temperatures of minus 10, so we are now back in Soper’s Hole so he can get a taxi to the airport. The immigration officer told me just to write ‘NOB’ (not on board) against his name on the paperwork and all will be well when we leave! We will take the ferry to the USVI tomorrow to obtain our passport stamps for the visa and then sail to a few other islands here before going to the US islands.

Soper's Hole Tortola

Even with 2 reefs in the main and 2 in the genoa we were making over 7 knots and as we approached Salt Island Passage at the BVIs it was still dark, so we had to take in the genoa altogether to slow down to 5 kts and the sun had risen by the time we went between the islands. I was very uneasy approaching the islands in the dark and would have turned around rather than go in.

Beyzano Moored in Soper's Hole

We sailed here in 2007 with our friends John and Freda and enjoyed the short hops and lovely bays. It was very easy sailing and a great holiday but now we are cruisers rather than holiday-makers the BVI are probably not the best place for us anymore. The first issue was clearance, which I undertook in the offices in Soper’s Hole. They were unable to clear the 3 of us in as Jack is either leaving on a flight or perhaps as crew on another boat as he wants to return to St Lucia but we have no tickets or date yet. In the end I had to say we would take him out of the BVI with us, which we may have to do.

We came here to meet some UK friends who leave on 2 Feb but another couple are arriving on 20 Feb to sail with us for 2 weeks. Unfortunately we are not allowed to stay here more than 30 days without seeking an extension at the HQ in Road Town and paying a boat temporary importation tax, which we don’t want to do. Instead we need to clear out and back in later on, via the USVI if the noonsite information is correct. So next week we will get a ferry to the American side, obtain a visa and return here to get the boat.

Another problem for cruisers is that most of the area has mooring buoys laid which is good for holiday-makers as they don’t have to worry about anchoring, dragging and swinging room but at 25 US$ a night, the costs soon add up. Water is charged at 25US$ for 100 gallons so it is still far cheaper for us to run the generator and make our own. Food and eating out is also much more expensive here than further down the chain as the area is full of charter boats with plenty of money to spend.

We were lucky to find a couple of empty moorings in Soper’s Hole as we arrived at about 1030 but noticed that it is rare that there are many free by mid morning as when one boat leaves, another quickly takes its place. As we work around the BVI we will try to update the cruising pages with the current situation on different islands.

Not All Sunshine in the Caribbean

This all said, the area is beautiful and we are looking forward to exploring it again and heading up to Anegada, the reef island north of Richard Branson’s Necker pad.

Cleaned Up!

The decks got a good scrub this morning during a heavy rain shower. Rob and I both got into our swimwear and took a brush each to clean everything after the trip from Nevis had left a covering of salt. The boat isn’t looking too bad for all the miles she has done. We hired some scuba gear and Jack scrubbed the barnacles off the prop which has been in the water since May and was completely encrusted. We will haul the boat out in September/October when she will need another good cleaning off as the warmer water is having an impact.

Golden Rocks Plantation Gardens

Jack had a go at catching some fish yesterday as it is allowed here according to a local fisherman. No luck though, so he cooked us a brocolli in cheese sauce with mash for last night’s dinner instead.

Jack Feeling Seasick Fishing From the Dinghy!

If he had caught a lobster like the ones we had at Sunshine’s Bar that would have been a result. The fisherman told us to creep up behind one with a cable and snare it with that but we haven’t seen any!

Delicious Lunch at Sunshine's Bar

Today we took a 2 hour taxi tour of the island, finishing at Nesbit Plantation for lunch on the beach. The hotels at the former plantations are beautifully restored and the gardens are lush and cool.

The location of the restaurant at Nesbit’s Resort is also stunning and the food was excellent too.

Grounds at Nesbit's

As we have Jack with us, we had a rare photo taken of Rob and I together. It is now 7 months since we left the UK and we are still smiling

Rob and Me - 7 Months On

When we returned I cleared out at customs ready for our sail to the BVI tomorrow. We leave around 1100 and will sail overnight to Tortola so need to prepare some food and get a good night’s sleep.

Offices at Charlestown

Sunshine's Bar - Glad to see the Welsh Flag!

The daily routine continues to be a mixture of chilling out, sailing and necessary trips to the town for food plus chores such as the washing. This morning we made water so I could handwash the sheets and towels. Rob and Jack visited the market and got us stocked up with fresh salads and vegetables plus frozen goods from the supermarket.

Outside The Bar

We then gathered our laptops and swimming gear into dry bags and used the dinghy to land on the beach by the bar. Blissfully quiet at the moment but last night it was much busier and we met up with Art from ‘Feelin Good’ another ARC yacht. We also saw the couple from ‘Puddle Jumper’ who were the catamaran in Deshaies. We often meet the same yachts as we all make our way around the islands.

Beach At Sunshine's Bar

Sunshine’s Bar has a lovely ambience with flags and photos all around the open bar which is filled with huge comfy sofas. Outside there are loungers on the beach and tables under sunshades and the staff help you pull your dinghy up the beach when you arrive. The food is amazing, the staff friendly and helpful and it is a fantastic place to waste away the hours.

Later we are spending a bit of time on the beach before heading back to the boat. Monday is the day for visiting the plantation and museums and Jack is kindly treating us to lunch. I am so glad we decided to stop here and we will be back for much longer next time.

Beautiful Anchorage of Deshaies in Guadeloupe

We anchored and lit the BBQ but a catamaran decided to anchor in front of us and ended up with their boat on top of our anchor. Rob and I paddled over to let them know we would be leaving at 2am and may have to wake them and they were fine with that. In the event the wind shifted slightly and we didn’t need to disturb them when we left.

Sun Rising Over Montserrat

We had a lovely night sail towards Montserrat at good speed and saw the sun rising over the volcano. It was quite a sight with the smoke pouring out of the sides and the lava stream stretching into the sea. We didn’t stop this time but will in the future.

Activity on Montserrat as we sail by

The wind died as we got nearer to Nevis and we had to motor for 3 hours to get in before dark. Having only 12 hours of daylight is something we are getting used to now and plan our passages to arrive before sunset if possible. Deshaies is an easy bay to leave at night except for a few lobster pots which we located and noted on the way in.

Mooring Area at Nevis

Nevis is beautiful with a long beach where the Port Authority has laid 100 mooring buoys. Some are missing the long pick up line, so be careful to get one which has or the mooring buoy bangs into the hull all night! You need a boat hook, rather than a moorfast, to grab the line as it isn’t a solid hoop as in Les Saintes. It was 77 miles from Deshaies and there are lobster pots off the southern coast of Nevis and it is also very shallow for quite a long way out.

View from Beyzano

Clearance takes an hour or more, as you need to visit 3 separate offices in Charlestown. I took the dinghy to the dock behind the ferry terminal and a local man helped me in, took the garbage and showed me where the customs office was. You are not allowed to lock your dinghy to the dock here, in case the fishing boats need to move them.

Customs cost 30 EC$, then on to the police station to get the passports stamped, then to the Port Authority to get the harbour dues etc paid, which amounted to 153 EC$ and finally back to the Customs office to get a boat pass to St Kitts in case we want to go there. We are planning to stay here a few days, so I paid for the 3-7 day pass to give us some leeway as it is only 5 US$ more than the 1-2 day pass. If we don’t stop in St Kitts I need to visit customs again here and clear out, with 24 hours notice. There are a couple of museums we want to visit in town, plus take a bus to the other side of the island for a meal in one of the restored plantation mansions.

Entering the Indian River

Anyone sailing to Dominica should try to be anchored in Portsmouth on a Sunday evening as the local yacht services organisation arranges a beach BBQ from 7pm for around 12 pounds each. They supply lots of rum punch, fruit juice and food plus a really good DJ and we ended up dancing the night away on the sand. It raises funds for the security in the bay and was a brilliant night and good opportunity to meet other cruisers and the local families. One young boy got up on the stage and did a Michael Jackson number with all the moves to loud applause.

Earlier in the day Rob and I went on the Indian River tour, with our guide Andrew. We passed wrecked ships on the beach, one blocking the river entrance, which forced the locals to dig out a new river mouth. We had to be rowed the rest of the way, through the unspoilt and fascinating vegetation., spotting kingfishers, hummingbirds, herons, land crabs and a variety of tropical trees. It was incredibly peaceful and in one area he showed us where part of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was filmed, a short time when the area was invaded by film crews and all the stars.

River Mouth Blocked By Hurricane Wreck

Our friends from Halsway Grace were there and both boats sailed to Les Saintes just south of Guadeloupe yesterday, cracking along despite the beam on swell. We seem to hurtle between islands these days so our passages are quick but the winds shift around the headlands and gust down the valleys, so caution is needed. Once out in the open the wind stayed constant though. The approach to Les Saintes from the south also needs care as there is a reef to the eastern side. The old anchorage off the main town Terre de Haut is now filled with mooring buoys marked with the allowed length of yacht and ours cost us 11 euros for the night. They have large hoops on the top so the ‘moorfast’ stick we bought for the solent came out of the locker – great piece of kit.

Town Hall

Customs has changed venue, so instead of the town hall, it is now in the internet café just after the square on the right and up stairs between the shops. It is called LSM (Les Saintes Multi-service) and they also deliver bread, collect garbage etc. There is only 1 terminal for immigration, so there was a queue but it is the same self-service form as in Martinique. You can then sail on to Guadeloupe without clearing out from Les Saintes.

Another Town Another Bar

The town is very pretty but the most tourist focussed we have visited so far. Lots of nice restaurants, expensive boutiques, a stall selling crepes and ice-creams on the square and a few supermarkets. You can hire mopeds and next visit we will tour the island to find the good beaches which all the day trippers seem to come over in the ferry for.

Approaching Les Saintes

The bay is very ‘rolly’ though and the boat moved constantly. Together with the tourist shops this was a negative for us and we much preferred Dominica.

Our next stop is the NW tip of Guadeloupe on our way to Monserrat or Nevis if we make good time.

4th Rum, Getting Dark - Anyone know where we left the dinghy??

Whilst using Pancho’s mooring outside his house in Roseau, we saw the local fishermen casting a circular net, throwing stones into the water to frighten the fish and bashing the water with an oar. At the last minute, as the circle closed, one of them dived into the water but we aren’t sure exactly what he did. But they then dragged up the net with a few fish trapped inside.

Local Fishing Technique

We also met the local security patrol who were going about the anchorage at night without lights, circling each boat and checking everything was OK. They are also the rescue service.

Rainbow Over Portsmouth, Dominica

This morning we left Roseau after filling up the water tanks for 7 pounds at the Drop Anchor dock and moved north to Prince Rupert’s Bay and Portsmouth. Not quite the same as the city we left in June last year – more rain today! The rainbows are worth the drenching though.

Tomorrow we are being picked up to take the indian river tour by row boat to see the beautiful vegetation and wildlife. Our guide is Andrew from Seabird, one of several approved boat services providers. He also met us many miles out before we got near Portsmouth and helped us onto the mooring buoy in the sheltered north of the bay. We usually anchor as we feel safer but in an effort to support the local community and their great efforts to establish services to yachts we have used their moorings throughout our time in Dominica.

To fund their security patrol they hold a beach BBQ tomorrow evening and for around 12 pounds you get the meal, dancing until late and rum and fruit juice. Can’t wait

Quiet Saint Pierre Anchorage

The anchorage was roomy on first glance but the beach shelves very quickly to over 30 metres so you need to get in close to the shore. We were there by 1400 so found a good spot, anchoring in good holding black sand, next to our friends on Halsway Grace.

Another excellent dinghy dock and short walk up the hill to the Tourist Office by 1430 just led to a closed office with a notice of their opening hours, 0900 – 1400 and only Monday to Friday. Perhaps the Marin customs officer doesn’t know the satellite offices don’t open when he thinks they do!!

There was nothing for it but to wander around the town, which is full of the history of the volcanic eruption in 1902 which killed all the former thriving town’s inhabitants of almost 30K people, except for 2, one in his cellar and the other in the jail. There is a museum and countless ruined buildings.

Saint Pierre

A few shops, an Esso station for our outboard petrol but the fuel was very expensive – better to buy on another island.

We had drinks with Robin and Sue as we watched the sun go down and then ate out for a change, at Le Tamaya, a small French restaurant which is to the right of the dinghy dock in the road behind, where 2 courses with wine was 90 euros for the 3 of us. There is a nautical theme to the place and the service was friendly.

St Pierre Dinghy Dock

The next morning I was off in the dinghy to look at the market on the seafront, bought 2 huge avocados for 1 euro each and was outside the Tourist Office waiting to clear out by 0830. They actually opened early and being first in the queue I was back on the boat and we were motoring out of the anchorage by 0930.

Approaching Scott's Head - Dominica

We had a brilliant sail across to Roseau, the capital of Dominica, being moored up by 1500 having logged 40 nm. Fantastic sailing, none of that downwind rubbish!! Beyzano bombs along when she is sailing to windward.

As we approached Roseau a couple of the yacht service boats (aka boat boys) came out to meet us. Both Pancho and SeaCat are mentioned in the sailing guide, so we knew they were reliable. Pancho was the first to greet us, took our bow line through one of the mooring buoys right outside his house, took me off to the customs office in the cruise ship terminal, which is quite a way from the anchorage and gave us the code for his Wi-Fi. He will also take our laundry, get supplies and can organise tours of the island or snorkelling trips to the marine park.

Roseau Anchorage & Mooring Area

The mooring is about 7 pounds a night and being close to the shore and his house we felt very secure there. The buoy is attached to a huge seabed block and the lines all look well maintained. His own boat is not though, but has a huge engine so we travelled at a shocking speed despite the leaks! I was at customs in no time and the process was quick and uneventful and gives us clearance both in and out, so if we stay less than a fortnight I don’t need to go back again, which makes life much easier. There are rocks close to the shore but sand once the water deepens, so the moorings seemed a better option this time.

Dominica is beautiful, so lush and the mountains are completely covered in thick vegetation. It rains a lot, briefly, so no wonder the island is so green. The people are very helpful and welcoming and have a great sense of humour.

We went into town today to soak up some of the local culture and will stay here for a few days before heading off to ‘The Saintes’ which are less than 15 nm from the north of the island. The weather forecast gave increased winds for a couple of days but Saturday looks a good day to move north and we are making good progress to the BVI.

The city centre was vibrant and full of little shops with great characters manning them. We stumbled across Old Stone Grill & Bar in Castle Street which had a great atmosphere with a cool interior, stone walls and ceiling fans. They also let us use their internet connection at the bar. Their menu offers spare ribs, jerk pork, fish, chicken and local specialities such as curried goat but the shrimps in coconut cream, rum, tomato, tropical fruits and mushrooms was my favourite! The prices are all very reasonable, much cheaper than the French islands at around 15 pounds for 2 courses.

We tied up the dinghy at the Dominica Marine Centre, a jetty with fuel and water available and another bar with Wi-Fi. Again, the staff are laid back, friendly and helpful. Many offer island tours and all the taxi drivers are trained in natural history.