Martinique and Dominica

Martinique

Our outboard engine was playing up so we took it into the main Yamaha dealer, K P Sheppard, in Rodney Bay to have a service. This is something we really should be able to do ourselves, and we have changed sets of spark plugs before. However, we had no idea as to when the engine had last had any maintenance. The dealer contacted us to say that they found the water pump housing had a very poor bodged repair to it in the past, and as a consequence water was mixing in with the engine oil. Unfortunately the new housing would have to be flown in from another island and would take a few days to arrive. Not great, but it needed to be done. When we finally got the engine back, parting with $1000EC, we put a tick in the box for another year, or so we thought...

With the engine back, we made preparations for the 24nm passage to nearby Martinique, our first French island. Once again we had another beat, and some swell to make things interesting. The sheer number of Flying Fish was incredible as was the sight of the sea birds, Boobies, swooping down and catching them mid-flight.

 

Upon arriving in Martinique we dropped the anchor in Sainte Anne, a very pretty spot, and soon after we went to find our German friends Bernd and Birgit as we had arranged to meet up. It was especially nice to see them again as this was the first time since the Canary Islands. Like us, they crossed the Atlantic from the Cape Verdes to Barbados.

Next task was to clear in. This process varies from island to island however, here it was very simple and cheap. We checked in at a local bar called Cafe Bou Bou and paid 4 Euros. 

Martinique owes its name to Christopher Columbus who sighted the island in 1493, and finally landed on 15 June 1502. The island was at that time named Jouanacaera-Martinino (meaning The Island of Iguanas) by the Caribs, and he re-christened it Martinica. The name evolved into Madinina (Island of Flowers). Finally, through the influence of the neighbouring island of Dominica, it came to be known as Martinique.

On our trip to shore we noticed that the outboard was running badly and was difficult to start. We rely so much on it, as it is like a car to us. It is our only means of transport to shore, so this came as a blow, especially considering the size of the bill we had just paid. We had really no choice but to say to our friends that we would be leaving that evening to go back to the dealer in Rodney Bay and get it checked out. As Rodney Bay is a large anchorage and we had been before, we had no qualms about anchoring at night.

The next day we dropped the engine off to be checked over. One of the spark plugs was faulty, great, problem solved, or was it...?

We went back to Sainte Anne in Martinique the following day. What we should have done was test the engine for longer in St.Lucia, as after only a short period of use it became almost impossible to start, and when it did it would not idle well at all. With huge reluctance we decided to go back to the dealer once more. We sent an email informing them that we would be calling in as soon as they opened the following day. Once again we left Martinique late afternoon and arrived and anchored in Rodney Bay at night.
The dealer was most apologetic and after several hours found the issue. A faulty carburettor gasket which had been restricting the airflow. A new gasket was fitted free of charge. We decided to stay in Rodney Bay for a few days and put some miles on the engine just to make sure. Thankfully it never missed a beat.

Once again we found ourselves returning to Martinique, clearing in at Sainte Anne, and left the following day to catch up with our friends on Nautilus and Rebell in Grande Anse Mitan, about 22nm away.

 













From Grande Anse Mitan we moved further up the island in the company of Nautilus and Rebell to St.Pierre.

The anchorage at St.Pierre was interesting as it only got shallow enough to anchor in almost right up to the shore.

The town was the former capital city of Martinique and was once described as the Paris of the Caribbean. It was totally destroyed by a volcanic eruption of Mount Pelee in 1902. All of its 30,000 inhabitants perished, with the exception of two people. Louis Auguste Cyprais was a prison inmate who survived because he was in a poorly ventilated, dungeon like jail cell, and Leon Compere-Leandre, living on the edge of the city, escaped with severe burns. It is said that it took just two minutes for the lava flow to cover the entire city. 

We had a great time here, and did a fascinating tour of the local rum factory with a free tasting session at the end.

Hmm, would they notice one missing?

We also did a hike along Le canal des Esclaves (the slave canal) in Fonds-Saint-Denis. Back in around 1770 the slaves built an irrigation canal to provide water for the towns of Le Carbet and St.Pierre. It was an interesting hike following the course of the canal through the rainforest, with a sheer drop on one side in places. Not for the faint hearted! 

After the hike, it was a steep walk downhill back to St Pierre. Our journey took us through several banana plantations. 

Another highlight was finding a characterful bar on the beach. The veranda part looked to be held together with string, and cockerels roamed about! The service was great, as was the food. It really was a great find, and a special place to spend time in the company of good friends.

 

KFC?

Martinique is a lovely place, not least because you can get great cheese and fresh baguettes. However, it was time to move on to our next destination, Dominica.

We left St.Pierre at first light to make the 55 nm passage to Rupert Bay in Portsmouth, on the north west coast of Dominica. The journey started off with some reasonable wind, but by the time we reached the south west coast of Dominica, the wind died. All three boats were determined though to sail for as long as we were able, even if it meant doing less than a knot of speed at times. What true sailors we are!

Rebell and Nautilus

 

Dominica

On arrival at Rupert Bay in Portsmouth, we were greeted by a 'boat boy' in a skiff called Lawrence of Arabia. He asked if we wanted to use a mooring buoy or if we were going to anchor. We told him we were going to anchor and he did not try to force us into taking a mooring ball, for which there is a charge. He merely welcomed us to the island and told us if we needed anything we could call up on VHF channel 16. He told us he could arrange various trips for us if we were interested, and informed us about the bi-weekly yachties BBQ on the beach.

This was the best welcome we had received so far on any of the islands. Other islands could learn a lot from the set up they have on Dominica. Just a few short years ago, crime was rife on Dominica and it was not a particularly safe place for yachts to visit. There is now a group called PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services), made up of trained, certified guides and local businesses that patrol the bay at night. They also offer a number of services to visiting yachts. The boat boys are part of this group. The twice weekly barbecues they hold for the yachties costs $20US per person for food, and unlimited rum punches or soft drinks. Any profit made from the BBQ is used by PAYS to lay more mooring buoys, and to improve their services. We all felt very safe here.

The check in procedure here was very quick, and unlike on the other islands, if you are intending to stay for less than 14 days, you can check out at the same time. This was quite handy as the customs building was at the far end of the bay and a good 10 minute journey by dinghy.

Later that morning we had a stroll around the town.

The second night of our stay was BBQ night so we went ashore to join in.
When we arrived a little early, I (Steve) helped a few locals set up the tables and engaged in some banter. Very friendly people.

As the yotties started to arrive, one of the locals came up to me and introduced himself as a local artist seeking commissions. Now we have seen some of the local art and it is spectacular, if only we had a bigger yacht with a spare cabin to store some...
Anyway, the local budding Rembrandt offered to paint a picture of Aztec Dream at anchor on a postcard. Very considerate as much more of a suitable size. Feeling chuffed with myself I mentioned to Lynne that we would have a lovely work of art, oh and by the way can I have some money. Perhaps I should have been a little more wary when the chap came back a short time later and asked how many masts the yacht had.

By now the conversation was flowing as freely as the rum, and I had all but forgotten the artist, imagining he would come out on a skiff the following day to sketch an outline of the boat.

To my amazement he appeared clutching my commission only ten minutes later. He was as proud as could be, whilst I was speechless. Having no choice I handed over the money, and sauntered over Lynne who was chatting to Ian and Steph at the time.  It is hard to say how long the laughter lasted for, in fact it increased exponentially with the number of people who saw it.

We have decided to hang onto it and are considering our options. We could loan it to the Tate gallery, subject to suitable security and insurance arrangements, or we could auction it on eBay and put the funds towards our motorhome in New Zealand. I think however, Lynne's idea of using the back of it to write a shopping list on may be our best bet.

 















After the BBQ had finished, Ian and Steve insisted we check out the local disco. This turned out to be no more than a shack on the beach, but we all had good fun dancing with the locals to some Reggae beats. 

 





















Dominica has been nicknamed the 'Nature Isle of the Caribbean' for its unspoiled natural beauty. The island has lush mountainous rainforests and is home to many rare plants, animals and bird species. There are over 300 rivers on the island and many spectacular waterfalls. It also rains here... a lot!

In September 2015, Tropical Storm Erika made its presence felt on Dominica, with devastating effects. Over a period of just 16 hours, the island had 12.62 inches of rain, causing catastrophic mudslides and flooding. Hundreds of homes were left uninhabitable and thousands of people were left displaced. Many roads and bridges were also swept away. Six months on, many of the roads remain impassable and repairs are still ongoing.

Along with Bernd, Birgit, Ian & Steph, we decided to hire the services of a local taxi driver called Cornell, to do a tour of the island and see some of its highlights. We visited several waterfalls and the capital city of Roseau. Cornell was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the island, showing us everything from Avocado trees to cocoa plants. He even picked us some grapefruits and nutmeg to take away with us. 

One of the highlights of Dominica, and one we were all looking forward to, was a trip up the Indian River. 

The mouth of the Indian River was once a Carib Indian settlement. The only way to go up the river is on an organised tour on a skiff. Outboard engines are not allowed to be used in the river, to protect the wildlife, so you are 'rowed' up the river by your guide. The river is lined with with trees whose buttress roots spread up to 20 feet. The brackish water is a playground for young barracudas and crayfish and if you are lucky, you will get to see kingfishers, herons and hummingbirds as you silently glide along. 

 














Some of the scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest were filmed here. Our boat journey took us past the Voodoo Priestess Tia Dalma's house.

The river is only navigable for about a mile, and you are dropped off at Rahjah's Jungle Bar for about an hour before making the trip back down again. The trip was magical and even though it rained on and off, it didn't ruin things for us as we were well prepared with our rain jackets. 

 














Our river guide took the time during our stop at the Jungle Bar to make a bird perched on a rose for all the ladies on the boat. They were made using the leaves of one of the trees close at hand.

 














We would have loved to stay longer on Dominica but as we had family arriving in Antigua, it was time to move on. Our original plan was to sail to the Saintes Isles and then Guadeloupe before getting to Antigua. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for us. The wind was due to increase significantly in the 5 days leading up to our guest's arrival, so we decided to sail straight to Antigua, making a 94 nm overnight passage to Falmouth Harbour.