Dominica is an unspoiled Caribbean island with lush forests, breath-taking scenery, wonderful people and beautiful blue cruising waters. For those who sail, it's majestic and a wonderful winter "home." In fact as sailors, Portsmouth has been our winter home for more than a decade. Dedicated to Dominica, we have been helping Portsmouth construct a Mooring Field to welcome sailors from around the globe.
Our goal this season is to take advantage of last year's success and article in Cruising World Magazine (among others) to create a big and sustainable mooring field and event for years to come. Last month, The OPO Dominica Fund paid for over $3,200 for lines and ferrous materials to make up new mooring tackle. Mooring buoys are being purchase in Guadeloupe. Some materials are being bought locally in our effort to make it easy to renovate the mooring field each season about. The materials order from Budget marine are in Dominica waiting to get released from customs after import duty is paid. New moorings will be added as the government has funded more mooring blocks. We are awaiting final approval of a dinghy dock in Mero which is 10 miles south of Portsmouth.
We invite OPO members to come be sea or by air in 2025 and join my wife and I and other interested OPO members and friends who can take advantage of our discounted offer to see the results of our efforts. Elaine Lembo from Caribbean Compass magazine will be covering the event for at least the first few days guaranteeing good coverage of the event for another year. See how we helped PAYS group and the government of Dominica welcome more yachties to their island.
Fly into Dominica for the Third Annual Dominica PAYS Yachting Festival. The website has the schedule of events. Boat owners are encouraged to sign up for a free mooring with a $100 deposit online. You can also join us and take advantage of the special offer we negotiated last year to stay ashore. The International Hotel is honoring last years discounted prices even though inflation has raised prices for everything else. Please do let me know if you plan to join us so I can answer questions and also remind you that when you reserve your stay with a one-day deposit it will show up in local CFA money. The $498 US will show up over $1,300 in local currency because of the exchange rate. Look at the schedule for the festival on the PAYS web site at https://paysdominica.com.
The opening reception is Saturday night, March 22, 2025. Ideally you will want to join for a full week or at least until Thursday, March 27, to enjoy the first few days including the Race to Mero. Cathy and I stay until March 30. You can book direct flights to Dominica from Miami on American Airlines or you can fly to St. Maarten and fly from St. Maarten to Dominica on Winair. I can give you our flight information if you want to fly via SXM and visit SXM for a couple of days before going to Dominica.
I mentioned in a previous email that if anyone wants to fly down either by themselves or with a friend or spouse that we have negotiated a 60% discount for rooms at a 5-star resort just around the corner and two minutes away from the PAYS Pavilion. There are direct flights from Miami to Dominica with American Airlines. Cathy and I plan to stay ashore and fly in and still attend the PAYS parties and tours, but also stay in a great place for the event. You do not have to come for the entire ten days. If you arrived on Saturday, March 22, and left after the Race to Mero on Thursday or Friday that would be fine. Even with the discount the hotel this is not cheap. But it is about the same price as staying in a Marriot Hotel in any city in America. While we will pay more to stay in the hotel, meals and tours are still very inexpensive. It would be fun to have a few members who have the time and the money to come enjoy Dominica and see what we have been doing. I am sure once you visit you will want to go back by boat the next time.
Rooms normally run for $1,200 a day. Our price is discounted to $415. With taxes and fees it is really $498 a day. Spa treatments are extra and meals are not crazy expensive. Remember we can eat off premise for at least one if not two meals a day. Breakfast is included in our discount.
As reported in the September Notice to OPO Mariners, we had almost $13,000 left over from last year. Remember we did not send new mooring from the US since the factory had a fire and then an extrusion production problem delayed timely delivery of new moorings. The following OPO members sent more money with their annual dues this year. List of Donors by initials only - SE - $50, JP- $245, CM- $50, JS- $220, AT-$50, GH-$50, JS-$50, SP-$50, CB-$50, JW-$195, RR-$220, BW-$25, GB-$50, FR $245, BG-$100, RH-$100 TM-$220, JG $220 for a total of $2,215
Money Left over from Last Year $12,992 + $2,215 = Total Mooring and Festival Budget for 2024/2025 of $15,207.
We know we will not only be able to refurbish the mooring field this year but help sponsor the festival this March 2025 and still be able to pay for some materials for next year. We are not going to raise any more money moving forward but will of course still stay in touch and encourage people to visit Dominica. Please think about joining us this year for the first time or as a returning visitor either by boat or by making a reservation with the International Hotel. I have included the email from the hotel reservations desk so you can book directly with them, but please let me know if you have any questions. I have been to the resort grounds before and of course know about the activities for the ten days.
As requested, please find this link to proceed with the payment. To ensure a smooth booking process, it's advisable for each guest to send me an email. This way, I can handle their room reservations and send them the payment link at the same time.
Dianna Nelson
Reservation Department
Intercontinental Cabrits Resort & Spa
Bell Hall Road, Cabrits Douglas Bay
Portsmouth,
Commonwealth of Dominica*
It was a pleasure to have our call today. As discussed, here is the information for all participants of your group.
Hank Schmitt Group
Room Type:
Rate:
- 1 King-sized bed or 2 Twin-sized beds (subject to availability)
- Premium Mountain View for an enhanced and scenic experience
- Breakfast included
Deposit and Cancellation Policy:
- 415 USD per night, plus applicable VAT and Service Charge
- Single or double occupancy
- A one-night deposit is required at the time of booking, which is fully refundable if you cancel more than 7 days prior to arrival.
- The deposit becomes non-refundable if the booking is cancelled within 7 days of your arrival date.
Booking Instructions:
To secure this rate, please contact us at reservations.dominica@ihg.com and our team will be happy to assist with your booking.Should you require additional information or wish to customize your booking further, feel free to reach out. We are committed to ensuring a seamless experience for you and your group, and we look forward to welcoming you to InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa.
InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa
Bellhall Road, Douglas Bay Cabrits National Park, Portsmouth DominicaT: +1 (767) 445 1000Instagram
With a new PAYS Mooring Field, the lives and the economy of Dominica and Portsmouth has been revitalized.
