March 2018

The PAYS office

Nothing prepared Bill or me for the devastation we would witness on Dominica. And nothing could have prepared us for the love and tenacity we would see bubble out of the community members on this beautiful tropical paradise.

Leveled homes and businesses were everywhere

December 5 was the arrival date in Dominica set up by Bill Balme on Toodle-oo! for the Salty Dawg members to begin their post hurricane relief efforts. Bill had arranged many meetings before we departed Norfolk VA and I expected a large group of boats to arrive. Arriving a day early, when the winds were slightly calmer, we found only two other boats in the huge harbor of Portsmouth. True to the Dominican reputation, we were greeted by a friendly PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) man in a colorful wooden skiff. Anthony guided us in to a perfect anchoring spot just off the PAYS dock. He offered one of the few moorings, but we assured him that our anchor was reliable and that we would save those moorings for the many boats arriving soon.

Evidence that USAID had visited

One of the other boats at anchor was a local blue steel sailboat that seemed like it could go no further, and the second was a small sailboat named Gandalf. The young French captain of Gandalf dinghied to Alembic asking for help getting his load of fifty cases of beans and noodles, donated by a food supply business in Martinique, ashore. Bill, not understanding any French, caught on to my end of the conversation and quickly jumped in our dinghy to assist Seb and Anthony with the substantial task of transporting this huge load ashore. Between Gandalf and Alembic’s dinghies and Anthony’s larger skiff, the food arrived safely on the beach to be transported by van into the hurricane ravaged mountainous regions.

This was in the center of town. Loved the women reference

Soon after our arrival, Cranstackie and Toodle-oo! arrived to anchor near us, and Northern Star arrived the next day. We had met Alastair, of Cranstackie, a few days prior, in Martinique. He and his wife were eager to assist Dominica and had already stocked up on many useful items to donate. Our group of four boats seemed small, but we managed to accomplish a long list of tasks in the next few days.

Boi and Bill getting the wall started

Bill Balme had concluded that if we help PAYS get their moorings, dock, and pavilion in shape, more boats would arrive, and more dollars would flood into this struggling community. From their emails, Jeffrey Frank, the President of PAYS, was ready for our visit and had lined up workers and materials to add to our offerings.

Small but very busy dock. Fixed.

Simultaneously, work began with snorkeling missions to assess the existing blocks, repairing the dock, and building a concrete bar in the pavilion. Locals with very specific skill sets merged seamlessly with the boaters; you would have thought we were a well organized team, trained by a skilled leader.

Jeffrey had a generator, pallets of cement blocks, bags of cement, piles of random pieces of wood and rebar, shovels, buckets, and a wheelbarrow. We brought a circular saw, hand saws, boxes of nails, levels, string, trowels, and hammers.

Monty making us lunch

Lunch: Jeffrey, Anthony, Bill, Alvin, Eddison, Roosevelt, Boi, Monty

The guys take a break while I do light work of leveling with the trowel

Carl and Ardys of Northern Star making old boards useable again

Leaders sprung up for every task. Daniel was the cement mixer, Boi was the mason, Roosevelt was the carpenter, Monty was the chef, and Anthony was the strong guy who was willing to do anything. This work crew supported the pavilion work, while Eddison organized van excursions, Paul was our driver, and Alvin was our tour guide up the river, along with his famous father, Albert. Other locals hung around too, offering to help with the many details. Sharing a meal with them made it all feel like family.

Gathering the donations from all the boats

Behan donated these gorgeous art supplies

Dancing with the school kids

Alastair and Alita at the hospital

Rough Shape

One day, while Bill continued with construction, Alastair from Cranstackie, Ardys from Northern Star, and I visited a local school and a hospital to bring some of the supplies we had collected. Here we learned about more of the challenges of the community. Neither had any internet yet, two and a half months after hurricane Maria, and both still had not repaired structural and equipment damages. Dr Jeffrey, head of the hospital reiterated that they have received many offerings of small items: water, bandages, meds, and sheets, but no one is helping them replace some bigger ticket items. Thinking that maybe we could procure some items when we return to the US, I asked what they needed. An EKG machine and nebulizers were tops on her list. Dubious of any substantial help from a traveling sailor, Dr. Jeffrey gave us that common gracious thank you that so many suffering souls offer. You could hear her saying “we appreciate anything, yet expect nothing”.

Northern Star, Toodle-oo!, and Alembic enjoy a River tour with Albert and Alvin.

Note the fisherman’s prosthetic on the dock. Albert just lost his lower leg too.

A Circus Man built a home many years ago…

Leaving Dominica was difficult. Locals had welcomed us, shared their stories of trauma and their joys of rebuilding. Kindhearted folks filled our days on this beautiful island. But it was time to head north; we had a flight to catch from Antigua to the US in less than a week.

Two months in the States was a whirlwind. Visiting my brother Rick in DC, driving with Mom from DC to Connecticut, enjoying Christmas at our ski camp with our three kids and their significant others as well as Marie, our French daughter, working at Sunday River, and heading to Connecticut many times to visit my parents, all filled our hearts with home, friends, and family.

A wonderful organization serving the world

Surprisingly, we did manage to acquire those hospital items Dr Jeffries had requested. Marie Keller, of Partners for World Health in Portland Maine, helped us to procure an EKG machine, four nebulizers, and all the tubing, leads, paper, and connections to keep them going for a long time. Friends lent us rolling suitcases to protect these items on the trip south, and with the help of many others, we managed to get everything aboard Alembic when we returned to Antigua on February 21.

Our old truck filled with our friends’ wheelie bags of medical supplies

Bill’s seat has been to Saudi Arabia with Lisa Wendler!

Thank you Peter and Angie!

After a lovely four day visit with Peter and Angie Arndt, who took good care of Alembic during the two months we were back home in the states, we sailed off for an overnight sail to Dominica. Coming out to Alembic as we entered the harbor, Alvin greeted us with a very warm welcome. It felt like coming home.

Except there were so many boats!!! What a feast for the eyes to see: the harbor was full of about 75 sailboats. Yachtie Appreciation Week was just finishing, and clearly, word got out that this was a welcoming harbor!

Making sure the equipment survived the plane rides and inspections

The French Nurses join us for the delivery

Dr Jeffrey and her staff were thrilled!

After clearing in through customs, we were eager to deliver our goods. Two nurses, cruising on a sailboat from France, joined us on our delivery to the hospital. Dr Jeffrey and her staff were certainly surprised to see the items she had asked for. Hopefully they will serve the community well.

Daniel helped make a few things for Alembic and gave us the donated goods

Donated items for Trafalgar Falls

A full range of ages at Trafalgar Falls School

Our next delivery, much lower in dollar value, but just as important for us to complete, was six bags of random items given to us by Daniel in Antigua. He had received these items from a passing yacht, and was looking for another yacht to take them to Dominica. Since Daniel was from Trafalgar Falls, Dominica, we were determined to deliver the items there. So we sought the help of Eddison again, and had Paul drive us up there. The family on Solan, with children Hans (14) and Anna (9) joined us for this tour into the rainforest.

The family on Solan joined us for the hike

These falls were much bigger than this picture conveys!!

Paul found a school in Trafalgar Falls for us to deliver the treasures to. Once again, the community gleefully welcomed us into their space and were exceptionally grateful for the offerings. Paul then proceeded to drive us up into the glorious Trafalgar Falls, where we enjoyed a hike and a swim in the sparkling falls. Returning back to our boats, Paul drove us through many towns with varying amounts of hurricane damage. Some were so broken, with no sign of power or other services, but full of locals who were determined to stay in their homes, no matter how broken. As we entered Portsmouth at last, the sun was setting and Paul stopped the van just in time to see the Green Flash. This really made me realize that life marches on beautifully. And this island will recover. Dominica is full of riches that are immeasurable.

Fort Shirley

Amazing old stonework

Moroccan Resort ceased construction years ago

The lush greenery is coming back

With our chores done, our deliveries made, Bill and I took some time to explore the hikes surrounding the harbor. From up on the hill, where Fort Shirley was built, starting in 1765, you could see down into the bay on the north side of the peninsula, as well as down to Portsmouth harbor on the south side, where Alembic sat quietly. It was interesting to note that one mega resort was in full swing construction on the north side, while another, in the south, had ceased construction well before the hurricane, and the glamorous hopeful billboards surrounding the resort were a testament to the impermanence of promises and plans.

Coming to Dominica opened my eyes to poor communities. From a quick glance, I saw the destruction from storms, projects deserted soon after starting, untenable homes, and people living on the streets or under tarps. I thought their food was probably unsafe for me to eat, their skills not substantial enough for organizing construction projects, and their hopes dashed. All of my observations were replaced within a week of arriving. Albert explained how the island has been struck by many hurricanes and the downed trees allow sunlight to penetrate the lower levels, helping many new plants and animals to thrive. Foreign contractors waltz in to build their dreams, and often leave unfinished, but these dreams were never the locals’ wishes. Homes do get rebuilt, and families unite while helping each other. Their food is excellent, and delicious!! Their skills are endless as they grow up realizing that if something needs to get done, you need to do it. And lastly, their hopes remain high. Forever grateful for each day, for each meal, for each new child born, they carry on living and loving on this beautiful island that many rich Americans only dream about.

Colorful fishing boats

Our first adventure away from the large community of Salty Dawgs was to Guadeloupe. Six hours of sailing, and arriving in Deshaies at 5 as the sun began to set, was delightful. Finding a free mooring in the wildly windy harbor was challenging. Where did all this wind come from? Outside the harbor was a perfect bluebird breezy day and now, in this amphitheater of cliffs, the wind howled in irregular bursts of fury. As we circled the harbor, we found all of the moorings occupied. Like a dog looking for a place to lie down, we whirled about looking for the largest space to drop our anchor that wasn’t too deep. With only 150 feet of anchor chain, we prefer to stay in less than 25 feet of water, so we don’t have to let out all that chain and rely on the connecting nylon rode. Finally we chose a spot far out in the harbor; a long dinghy ride, but no bumper boats for the night.

Cemetery on the hill

Clearing customs was a snap. The tiny retail clothing shop had a small computer set up in the corner where you typed in your info, hit print, and went to the cashier and gave her about 4 Euro. Why is it that some countries require so many formalities, others require hundreds of dollars, and here is so cheap and simple?

Honoring young and old

Another positive aspect of Guadeloupe was obvious from the harbor. Families here honor their loved ones after death. A huge cemetery, seen from the harbor and town, is full of dramatic as well as simple memorials. I’m not sure what they do when they start running out of space for more family members. Church also is a central part of the community. Many locals lingered after the service was finished. A teenager, wanting to practice her English with us, told us about her upcoming trip to New York with a school group. She, and her very shy friend, were selling fresh baked goods to raise money for the trip. What a common worldwide experience: selling baked goods to fund an adventure. Of course we enjoyed the treats we purchased!

A First Communion?

Service Flowers

A dinner party on Alembic, the second night in the harbor, was interesting. I wish we had taken photos. One couple was Canadian, and the other was Swedish. The Canadians had been cruising for many years in their old Whitby, a sister ship to Alembic, and the Swedes were on a gorgeous new Halberg Rassey. The Canadians were “getting out of the Caribbean as soon as possible” because they felt it was unsafe. They lock their boat up tightly at night, so the “intruders” can’t come in. It was so sad to hear them talk of locals so negatively, when our experience, and the experiences of all the other cruisers we have met, find the exact opposite. And the Swedes were leaving soon too, for a different reason. Marie simply misses home terribly, so she will be flying home this May, while Mats will sail their boat back with crew aboard. Usually our dinner parties are more uplifting, as most cruisers we meet are exceptionally grateful for this opportunity and are working on continuing the lifestyle indefinitely!

Another beautiful sunset

Greedy Koi

Patient Parrots

Bizarre Roots

Theatrical Flamingoes

Each banana plant grows one flower and one bunch.  Then they cut it down.

Ginger

A new day dawned the next morning and we took in the spectacular Botanical Gardens, just a mile walk up a very steep hill from the dinghy dock. Lush is a word that describes this beautiful island of Guadeloupe. With plentiful sunshine as well as rain, the gardens were exploding with color. The Koi must be used to tourists feeding them; they greedily climbed over each other with gaping open mouths. The parrots also flew to your hand, expecting you to have a shot glass of smoothie. They were kinder than the koi, taking turns sharing the offered beverage. Indulging on breathtaking colors, we tried to capture the sights of this amazing venue. Bizarre trees, pink flamingos, banana plants, and ginger flowers were just a tiny portion of the vast selection of offerings.

Magnificent Organ

30 foot murals were everywhere

Slave Museum

A four dollar bus ride into Point a Pitre the following day was a huge culture shift. The big city was dirty, crowded, and bustling. You could find whatever you wanted here, if you had the patience to practice your French, climb through stinky muddy streets, and make a lot of wrong turns. With no purchasing needs, we meandered through the city, taking in the vibe. A simple lunch and the slave museum were our only diversions. I highly recommend the slave museum; I learned about the history of these beautiful caribbean islands and the people who have been coming here throughout the past few centuries.

Another party on Planet Waves

After a 24 hour sail, we arrived at the south end of Martinique, another French island. We dropped our anchor right behind dear friends Shelley and John on Planet Waves. Who needs sleep? As quick as we could drop the dinghy in the water, we scooted over to their boat for a scrumptious meal of BBQ chicken (ok, so, distracted, he cooked it a bit too long…) and baked beets with plenty of other treats as well. Our entertainment aboard Planet Waves was watching a pair of rickety boats, rafted together, drag down onto a round-the-world cruiser from South Africa who was anchored right next to Planet Waves. Much swearing and finagling ensued and finally one of the old battered boats managed to rev up enough horsepower to limp away and drop anchor out of reach of us. We invited the South African man to join us on Planet Waves and he shared many stories of his travels. Then it was off to town to enjoy live music from liveaboard cruisers as well as dancers who are part of a traveling circus. Never a dull moment!

The French love to sing in St Anne

A few more quick anchorage stops in St Anne and St Pierre before we headed back north again were noteworthy. In St Anne, we met Alastair on Cranstackie who would later join us in Dominica for hurricane relief work, and the Giffords on Totem who has sailed around the world with their three children. Behan and Jamie Gifford have an online business answering questions about how to make cruising work for families. I was honored to answer some of her questions online a few months ago regarding cruising in the Western Caribbean.

A rolly but tranquil anchorage

St Pierre was a rolly anchorage beside an ancient city. Arriving on a Sunday meant we missed all of the weekday activities of retail and restaurant bustle. Instead, we enjoyed a quiet walk through a sleepy village, trying to imagine the stories created here. Leaving at dawn the next morning, we never saw this town wake up.

Time to head to Dominica. Bill Balme, on Toodle-oo! had arranged for the Salty Dawgs to arrive in this hurricane stricken island and begin helping them. Off we went to join this group!