Arriving in Prince Rubert Bay, Dominica

We had bypassed Dominica twice so we decided it was time for a visit. Other cruisers raved about the beauty of the island which was formed from seven volcanoes (most other islands were formed from only one) making it quite mountainous. For various reasons, Dominica has not had the development seen in the other Caribbean islands so much of it is unspoiled. The government under the leadership of Roosevelt Skerrit, the youngest leader ever elected in the Caribbean, as chosen eco-tourism as a primary focus.

One of the first things you notice in the anchorages is the number of wrecks that have been washed ashore in the town of Portsmouth. Since Prince Rupert Bay is open to the west, any hurricane which moves from west to east can make this bay a death trap for anchored boats (there is no marina on the island and no hurricane harbours). We learned that some of the older wrecks were driven ashore in the 1990s but there were several new wrecks from Omar a late season hurricane last year that formed in the Caribbean Sea and decided to head northeast instead of northwest. We have seen damage on many of the islands from this storm. The government plans to remove these wrecks although the have the advantage of protecting the buildings ashore from further damage. Here is a satellite image showing some of the older wrecks.






This is a recent wreck from hurricane Omar last year. The missing hull plating was to expedite the removal of the engine.













This is one of the older wrecks - the top most one in the satellite photo above.















The bottom most wreck in the satellite picture.
















Making an acquitance in Portsmouth town.