Isle Des Saintes to Dominica

Isle Des Saintes

We had some very good luck, if you believe in luck, or we had some true blessings, if you believe in blessings, or we had some really positive vibs if that is the way you think, or we definitely had someone  looking out for us.  I will go with Thank you God.

The day we went into town and hiked, when we came back to the dingy dock our dingy was not where we left it.  We thought it had been stolen!!   Then I noticed it at the end of the dingy dock.  We had locked it as usual, however, we did not DOUBLE tie it also.  We were not sure what happened, but were extremely happy to see the little fellow at the end of the dingy dock.  Everything appeared to be in order, gas tank, engine, locks, chain, stuff stowed in the little bow compartment.  So we climbed in and came back to the boat.  Shortly after we got back we changed anchorages to the one in the pics below.   It is a delightful spot with clear water and lovely scenery.  Entertainment abounded as the roosters were chasing the goats and there was much bleating and crowing.

This is a little resort/hotel in the anchorage

Little outcropping of a mountain that you go around to get into anchorage

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The beach

The housing compound where the goats and chickens were carrying on.

I took the above pictures at almost sundown and so they are a little glowey.

The only downfall was the wifi was very iffy, so the next morning we headed back over to the main anchorage so we could check the weather.  (I do not know why as they are rarely on target.  Kirk has started looking at the radar and satellite stuff and making his own decisions.)  So as we are picking up a mooring ball, a guy comes up in a dingy and tells us that he rescued our dingy the other day that it was floating out to sea and 4 boats passed it coming into the harbor and no one stopped for it so he got in his dingy and towed it back to the dingy dock.  How do you express how grateful you are???   He was a french cruiser as best we could tell.   Kirk went into town and bought him a 40 euro bottle of rhum and took it to his boat.   

So this morning we are all prepared to leave and a down pour hits.  I mean like I have not seen rain and black sky like this in a while.   The boat got a real good washing...... almost too good as some of the hatches were not dogged and we had a little leakage here and there.  So then we were delayed by cleaning up the water.  When it is time to go, the captain is ready to go and delays are not taken lightly. A little boat approached our boat and Kirk went out to see what the story was and the guy is holding up a passport and asking if this is ours?   Kirk leans over and guess what?  It was mine.  Kirk checked to make sure that he had his and then we profusely thanked this man.  He was the man Kirk had paid yesterday for the mooring ball when he went into town to clear out.  Kirk has no idea of how it fell out of the zipper bag where he keeps boat papers and passports to clear and out of customs etc.

SO if we had left when planned, I would not have a passport.   Now is this

DIVINE INTERVENTION

or what??

Portsmouth, Dominica

We motor sailed most of the way to Prince Ruperts Bay.  Then the wind shifted and so down came the sail.

So this is a crazy flying dingy.  Kirk was in customs clearing into Dominica and I hear this noise and this is what I saw.  A flying dingy.

The mother ship

 A fly by.  Touch down and take off.  Hysterical.

We saw him again down island visiting another mother ship.  Can't be of much use for much else.  I guess you could skip the bumpy, wet ride for a thrilling air ride?

And I thought we had seen it all in St Martin at some festival when a person with lights strapped to his body on a fly board at night came shooting out of the water.   The announcer called him Water Man.

Rosseau, Dominica

We motored down the leeward side of Dominica.  THERE WAS NO WIND!!!!  No, that was not forecast.  But no complaints, it was a lovely, smooth ride.

Colorful building.  Our mooring ball is right next to the shore.  The shore line drops like a rock.  100 feet or so out it was 250 ft deep.   wow  We are in 20 feet of water.

View of the south end of Dominica from our boat

Dominica has 7 volcanos.  We are both looking forward to spending time here next year on our way back north.  I am still in awe with each island that we see, even if I have seen them before.  It is a new experience each time you visit.  

Tomorrow weather permitting is Martinique.