Dominica, the Nature Island

January 28 - February 8 2024

Portsmouth, Dominica is only a seven hour sail from Le Gosier, Guadeloupe and we made good time. We left early and managed to arrive with plenty of daylight making it easier to check in and see the government vet so Zorro can wander around the island with us.

Dominica is nestled between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean, Dominica is often called the "Nature Isle". She boasts a rich history shaped by indigenous Kalinago inhabitants, European exploration, and colonial influence. Gaining independence in 1978, the island's lush, volcanic landscape is renowned for misty peaks, rainforests, waterfalls, and marine wonders.

The Salty Dawg organization that we had traveled down to the Caribbean with was having a rendezvous here; we were going to reconnect with a bunch of other cruisers and do some trips and dinners together. Nikki and I had booked several of their events, but Nikki was also in contact with several boats to meet up with and do more events with before it started. As a result we have broken our time in Dominica into two posts to be able to share it all with you.

Portsmouth is a large bay with a ton of mooring balls in the Northern part and anchoring in the Southern part. The “Boat Boys” from PAYS come out and greet you and assist you in finding and hooking up to a mooring ball. They also offer services to arrange tours, book taxis, or any restaurant reservation you may need. We took a mooring ball close to the center of the field with easy access to the main dinghy dock. We had a few days before the first events that the Salty Dawgs were hosting. After checking in, we saw the government vet to get Zorro all squared away. It was time to explore the town of Portsmouth. 

To the North of the bay is Cabrits National Park with nice walking trails and Fort Shirley. Originally built by the British starting in 1765, the fort also had several additions in 1778-84 by the French during their occupation of Dominica. It is most famous for a successful African slave revolt in 1802 due to poor living conditions and fear that they would be forced to work in the cane fields. They held the garrison for three days, and their occupation led to all British slave soldiers being free by 1807 in all parts of the Empire. Dominica has done a fantastic job of restoring the fort and adding tours, plus a restaurant to host events. We hiked up to the fort and did a self-guided tour, and soaked in the views of the bay, all while getting soaked! The grounds are beautiful and the trails are in good shape. A definite must if you are ever there. 

On January 30th, we teamed up with Gypsea and Tribute to go to the Botanical Gardens, Trafalgar Falls, and the Sulphur Pools and Baths. The gardens were amazing and much bigger than I thought. The falls were also quite nice, but the really cool part was the sulfur baths. There were three pools fed by a hot spring river, and you could just sit and soak. 

The next day we hiked back up to the fort and took the trail to Douglas Bay and checked out Douglas Battery. 

Unfortunately, boat life cannot be all fun and hikes; we also have boat projects that need taking care of. Today's project was the water pump. Time to get to work before the fun and games with The Salty Dawgs. 

Tune in as we go through some of the fantastic events and tours of Dominica.