2026 DOMINICA RENDEZVOUS

Written by Katie Bloxham, SV Persephone

The first week of February saw a record turnout of Salty Dawgs for our annual Dominica Rendezvous.  34 boats arrived in Portsmouth to enjoy fun activities, the company of fellow DAWGS and the traditional PAYS hospitality.

The first day featured a walking tour of Portsmouth led by Ken Guthrie, a snorkeling trip through lovely Toucari Bay and a welcome dinner at Sea Bird Grill.  The DJ pumped up the music and the dancing began!  Energy and enthusiasm were high and remained so all week!

Tuesday was our Island Heritage day.  About thirty of us travelled over to the west side of the island to visit the Kalinago Indigenous Territory.  We learned about the history of the Kalinago and their territory, experienced crafts such as basket-weaving and baking kasava bread, and saw a demonstration of traditional dancing from some of the local youth.  The Kalinago are a vibrant people who settled the island around 4,000 - 3,000 BCE.  Due to the large size of their territory compared to other islands, they have been able to maintain much of the heritage and way of life, including complex knowledge of local herbs which is the basis of Dominica’s bush medicines.

Wednesday was Community Service Day, and the Dawgs were out in force to give back to a place that means so much to many of us.  Groups visited a local primary school, including providing donations of school supplies as well as cash;  visited a retirement home;  and painted a house belonging to a young woman who is going through hard times.  Later there was a relaxing tour up the Indian River, and in the evening we had the traditional Wednesday night PAYS cook-out and enjoyed the local rum punch!

My personal favorite day was Thursday, when we visited Paradise Valley and Chaudiere Pool.  Paradise Valley is a lush 60-acre estate not far from Portsmouth, designed and cultivated by Dian Douglas.  He bought the property in 2017, not long before Hurricane Maria.  On the day after the hurricane there wasn’t a single leaf or green thing left in the valley, and he vowed to turn it into an oasis in the heart of the island.  Now it is a true paradise, where you can walk through wonderful plantings and landscapes, and later snack on local fruits and juices (being sure to throw any leftovers to the resident donkeys!).

After Paradise Valley we drove to Chaudiere Pool.  On the 30-40 minute hike down to the pool we passed numerous signs telling us it was a 10-20 minute walk!  Once there, we splashed in a  deep pool under a waterfall, and some brave souls dared to jump in from the surrounding cliffs.   Meanwhile Eddison and his crew prepared us a delicious lunch of local fish and vegetables before we faced the trek back up to the waiting vans.  

Our final day featured a trip to visit some of Dominica’s most famous waterfalls, including Titou Gorge and Trafalgar Falls.  These spectacular points on the Roseau river provide an opportunity to swim through a narrow canyon and stand below a waterfall, or to choose your favorite rockpool (hot, warm or cold!) on the scramble up to Trafalgar Falls.  In the evening, a farewell dinner and masquerade ball at Cabrits Cruise Ship Berth were a great wrap-up to the week, including a visit from Carnival dancers!

This was a busy, action-packed week, and many thanks are due to Mike Benjamin, Mary Sherrill, and all the PAYS guys for helping to organize it.  Alexis, Eddison, Max and Andrew were always around to help, and the boat guys did a terrific job getting everyone between boats and shore as the swells kicked in and the dock became perilous for small boats.  The friendships we’ve built, not just with other sailors but with the locals, have become one of my favorite parts of a stay in Dominica.

As they say in these parts, “Blessing”.

More photos from Dominica in This Month in Pictures! 

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