As many of you may know, Dominica was hit hard by hurricane Maria. While many cruising boats bypassed Dominica this year, we stopped in to check it out. Some things were immediately apparent:

1. The damage caused by hurricane Maria was very extensive. Every building showed the scars; broken windows, missing roofs and damaged walls and many were simply destroyed. The trees all showed damage and many were broken. The once full canopy of the rain forest was simply missing.
2. The people of Dominica are strong and resilient! Many lost their homes in the hurricane but they were smiling and helping each other and getting things back on track.

Although it has been a few months since the hurricane, the damage to the buildings and infrastructure will take years to repair. Materials are difficult to find and even more difficult to purchase. Galvanized nails are really hard to find. Many of the local businesses have simply closed putting many out of work. Internet is all but impossible to find so this post will be a bit tardy.

On our trip down the coast from Portsmouth, we stopped in at Roseau, the capital of Dominica. Roseau was hit hard by Hurricane Maria than but there was much activity cleaning up and effecting repairs. The biggest challenge is figuring out what to do with the massive amounts of debris. There are still a large number of deadheads (logs and trees) floating off the coast and washing up on shore. The amount of metal debris from roofs that have blown off is simply staggering. There are no metal recycling facilities on the island so the metal must be compacted and shipped to a recycling facility elsewhere but that process takes time.

The blue roofs in the photo are tarps on roofs that have blown off and many buildings have no coverage at all.

In many cases, the walls are still standing, but the windows and roof are simply gone. Imagine sitting in your living room when a category 5 hurricane hits (200mph sustained wind) and rips your roof off. The locals describe it as feeling like the storm is searching specifically for YOU! One local said it felt like the storm was poking sticks in through the windows and up through the floor looking for him.

Yellow (that’s his name) was one of the local guides we connected with. His home of 30 years in the mountain behind Portsmouth was simply flattened. His fruit trees and gardens were badly damaged. After so many challenges, he was upbeat and looking forward to rebuilding.

That said, Dominica should not be bypassed if you are travelling this way. It is well worth the stop and fresh vegetables and fish are readily available, inexpensive and delicious. The PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) Organization is in full operation keeping the harbour safe and secure. Many of the tours and hikes are still operating and the flowers and trees are recovering.

Portsmouth is recovering but it will take some time. Only a couple of the beach restaurants are open at this time but you can get a beer on the beech for $6EC ($3CAD) so that’s pretty sweet for a sun downer. Be careful with the rum punch though. It is a few dollars more at $10EC but it definitely has more bite than a beer 😉

Purple Turtle is open for business although the damage to the roof and upper floor mean limited capacity until repairs are effected. Do be cautious around the rum punch however. It is very tasty and VERY strong.

Madiba is also open for business although the free WIFI isn’t working yet as no internet capabilities are working on the beach front yet.

The beach is in good shape and the is plenty of activity, especially on a Sunday.

We had 35 yachts in the harbour this week so the weekly PAYS Sunday BBQ is on again and we had a full house for the first one of the season! There are several kid boats in the harbour so lots of social interaction for everyone.

We even had some unexpected entertainment as one of our new friends, Vanessa from Australia demonstrated some fire wielding skills and taught some of the older children some of the basic skills…. No one was harmed in the making of this BBQ.

There are some helping hands providing relief help from various parts of the world. In Portsmouth, if you were not local, you were on one of the dozen or two yachts in the harbour or part of a relief organization. These wonderful relief workers spend months here helping to restore essential systems like clean water, electricity and municipal services. We are doing our part as part of the yachting community organizing repair days and helping where we can. Yesterday, we had a team of about 15 people lending hands in various ways. I was part of a team that helped install a new roof for a residential house. It is amazing how fast that can happen when there are enough hands! Today we are helping to get the local radio station closer to being able to broadcast again after its tower fell in the storm.

Our visit to various parts of the island proved how resilient nature can be. The Indian River has been an attraction for many years as the full canopy shaded the river and made for a very pleasant row into the rain forest. Today that canopy is gone. The trees are just starting to rebuild the once full set of leaves and it will take years to rebuild the canopy to its former magnificence.

The upside to the lack of a canopy is the growth closer to the ground. Many of the areas simply had no sunlight for years and are now very much alive with flowers, ferns and butterflies.

Dominica is still beautiful and one of my favourite islands so far!

And the sunsets are still spectacular!