OCC member Steve Siguaw reports from the Caribbean

We just visited Portsmouth, Dominica 3 days ago © OCC

The anchorage at Portsmouth is good but there are no mooring balls. Pick a patch of sand to drop the hook on and you will be fine. There were only three other boats in the entire anchorage but we felt safe. There was also a shoreside bar next to the PAYS building that played loud music until 4:30 am so we never felt alone :)

There were very few fishing skiffs in the bay. Only two boat boys were active but they didn’t come out to meet anyone unless called over to visit. Most of the PAYS guys are busy cleaning the Indian River of debris and getting it back in good condition to attract tourists. That is why no one was working in the anchorage area.

We believe the the help needed in Portsmouth would be:
1. Put the dinghy docks back in place - there were no docks, just bare pilings so a beach landing is necessary.
2. Install the moorings that are stored safely ashore to attract sailors back into the bay.
3. The PAYS building needs to be repaired.
4. There are lots of fires all over the island to clear the dead and decaying vegetation. Clearing the area with manpower would be very helpful.
5. There is some power in Portsmouth at the concrete houses where power has been restored. Otherwise portable generators are being used for power. Late at night the town is mostly dark, except for the heavy equipment area near PAYS that has bright lights on all night long. I doubt if help with restoring power would be permitted, other than clearing the downed trees and wires for the power company.

Basically, sailors who have any carpenter skills, diving skills or just manual labor would be very helpful to get PAYS back up and running again.

This article has been provided by the courtesy of Ocean Cruising Club