When Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Dominica

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria (a Category 5 hurricane, the highest category) devastated the Caribbean island of Dominica. About 90% of the homes and a large portion of the vegetation were destroyed!

My fellow sailor Kathrin was in Dominica shortly after the hurricane. With donations they had collected themselves—which had grown to about CHF 23,000—the crew of the relief voyage primarily built houses and roofs and provided support to several families. They promised the Dominicans and the donors that they would return after a year.

On February 7, 2019, the time had come: The crew—consisting of Kathrin, Bente, Cyrille, and Mirko—set sail from Le Marin, Martinique, for Dominica. Once again, they brought along donations, children’s toys, and food. Their first destination was the southern part of the island of Dominica. Even a few miles off the coast, Kathrin could already see how things had changed since her previous visit. Even from a distance, the island looked much greener and “healthier.” Thanks to a special permit, we were allowed to moor at a local buoy in the bay of the national park off the village of Soufrière. No sooner had we arrived than we headed ashore in the dinghy (a small inflatable boat), which is slowly but surely reaching the end of its useful life because it constantly loses air. Among others, we visited Peter, who had once lost his forearms in a workplace accident. Peter is rebuilding his own house all by himself. It was impressive to see how he’s managing this despite his disability. Since he accepts virtually no outside help, however, the house is still just a shell—true to the saying, “Swiss people have Rolex, we have time.” Afterward, we were welcomed by Corally and Chop—both of whom had also been supported by Swiss donations back then—and treated to local delicacies. Our two wives were even presented with handmade handbags as gifts. Shortly before sunset, we drove with our driver Louis to the remote village of Galion and gave the children some of the toys we had brought with us.

The next day, we visited four-year-old Ishima, who hid as soon as we arrived, and gave her mother the donation, which is to be used for upcoming school fees and school supplies. We also supported a blind resident living in the jungle by paying for a hot plate. We then rounded out the day with food and drinks at Bevin’s—he’s building a resort in the center of Soufrière. When we arrived at the Yum Yum late in the evening, we were unfortunately forced to discover that someone had broken into the boat. A hatch had been pried open with a steel bar. Fortunately, the property damage and the stolen items are limited, but it’s still a hassle and completely unnecessary. The next day, we also had to deal with the police, though we’re still waiting for the police report today.

We then continued on to Portsmouth in the north of the island. There, we were welcomed by Lise, a hotel owner and member of the Rotary Club of Portsmouth. She first showed us a new project: at a plastic recycling center, plastic bottle caps are turned into jewelry or simple everyday items. Afterward, we visited the elementary school in Dublanc/Bioche, where we were warmly welcomed by 36 elementary school students. Since Hurricane Maria, the school’s cafeteria has been without a roof. The greenhouse, where the students had grown vegetables for their own use before the hurricane, was also completely destroyed. Thanks to the donations we brought, the roof and greenhouse can now be repaired! After an emotional day, we enjoyed the evening by the pool and had pizza at Lise and Hans’s hotel.

The next day, we explored the Indian River in a wooden boat with a local. Part of the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” was filmed here. On the way back to the Yum Yum, we were able to rescue a boat from crashing into a tanker at the last second. Due to strong winds, the buoy had come loose and the boat was drifting away unmanned. That evening, we got to enjoy the Portsmouth Carnival. With thumping music and dances that seemed sexist by our standards, the party went on well into the night.

After these eventful days, we sailed one island further to Guadeloupe, where we are currently located. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to Kathrin and to thank the crew of Yum Yum for making these experiences possible!