Dominica Part 1

After arriving in Portsmouth, Dominica, we settled in for a couple weeks at anchor.  The first night was a bit uncomfortable because some swell was working its way into the anchorage, causing us to roll.  So the next day we repositioned and set a stern anchor in addition to our bow anchor to hold us into the swell, which is much more comfortable for sleeping.

We also noticed that our bilge pump turned on - that never happens. So after some research, we found that the shaft seal (the part that keeps the water from flooding the boat through the propeller shaft) was leaking a bit. It's a modern designed "dripless" seal, so that was bad.  However, it turned out that a couple parts had come loose, so we re-compressed the seal and cleaned/tightened every fitting, and all was well again. 

Once settled in, we started exploring the island a bit.  We hiked two segments of the national trail (the Waitukubuli National Trail - kind of like the Appalachian Trail).  The first segment we hiked was around the north end of the island, through several valleys with amazing vegetation and wild fruit trees to go along with the scenic vistas.  The second segment was to the summit of Mount Diablotin, the highest point on the island at around 4800 feet. This hike was ridiculous - the first hour was climbing a steep trail, and the second hour and a half were working our way through a muddy, tree root jungle gym.  Literally climbing up and over and through tree roots like an obstacle course for 90 minutes - crazy.  Unfortunately the summit was fogged in once we got there, so we had to repeat the process on the descent.  Regardless, it was definitely a fun and unique walk.  

Afterwards, we cleaned our shoes and legs in a stream and returned to town for some chicken roti and a good sleep.  Today Heather arrives from the D.C. area and we are looking forward to checking out the rest of the island including the famous Boiling Lake and Desolation Valley hikes.