Day 59: Luperon, Dominican Republic

Tuesday, January 21st we departed Southside Marina at 2pm with high tide after finally clearing out through customs.  The wind was just off our nose and tacks would be time consuming so we motored to make French Cay by 5-6 which we did with two large cats already anchored nearby.

The next morning Jon made coffee, and the wind shifted NE overnight as predicted;  The F40 swung accordingly...less lee but no drag.  Susan made bacon, egg, and left over scones.  We studied the charts for DR and PR, packed sail covers and ready to sail either way with the long haul to PR favored since well rested.  Two squalls showing 22-25 came our way as we were preparing to raise the hook.  We let them pass, Departing French Cay at 10am with NE winds at 20k we had a wonderful sail, initially staying high on course towards PR with option to fall down to DR then higher to Six Hills Cay with option to anchor overnight.  Just couldn't get enough of sailing off the wind for a change and wanted to continue on; Susan favored anchoring at Six Hills despite my

Leaving Six Hills Cay

logical, rational opposition to use the predicted rare ENE winds to our advantage.  Susan won this one but paybacks will be delicious.  Meanwhile we kept tweaking our new-used aft sail; set reefed, it was wrapping off center of the mast causing the outside of the double sail to bellow out in poor trim.  Tried loosening the line tying the sails to the boom but had no success.  We noticed this sail had different reef points but only one partial torn tie we began tying each point one by one; low and behold the sails centered themselves on the mast with excellent trim.  Go figure!  So  now doing 5-5.5 knots; both sails reefed/trimmed with easy helm.  Thought about shaking the reefs out for probably 6.6-7; instead we just enjoyed the non-beating sail for the few hours more to Six Hills.  Anchored at dusk on the SE side, Susan satisfied she won that one.  A pork chop for me and chicken for Susan both with marshmallow infused sweet potato and Opti with good scraps.

Woke Friday AM without sleeping well two nights in a row tired and sore.  Looked to be a squally day; dark low menacing clouds all about.  Made coffee, did jongs, adding to our usually late mornings. Around 10 we brought the hook up with difficulty; twice the depth than previous 12' French and Sapadilla meant more 3/8" chain to muscle up over a longer time.  Once free, I failed to tighten the windlass clutch where I temporarily secured the chain before tying off with a keeper, anchor and chain dropped faster than I could react stopping just short of bottom as the rode had been cleated off in the first raising.  Why the windlass wasn't jerked off its mount I'll never know.  Having given Susan the signal that we were free, now I had to muscle everything up again while Susan was underway busy avoiding the shallows.  Totally toast now, I pretended to busy myself forward so Susan wouldn't think I was beat.  She continued at the helm with both sails reefed as I rested, the squally day continuing until1pm.  Skies clearing, we shook the reefs out in light air but as Andy's forecast more accurately predicted, wind at SSE.  This made PR not doable and, after an hour of pinching, DR only a little better.  Sailed through the night with our sights set on Luperon.  By noon the next day we figured the only way to make Luperon in daylight was to motor,  So, with the GPS we calculated to make landfall at 5pm, we doused both sails and motored several hours at 7k.

Somehow our 5pm approach was 6pm not sure why - user error, current, time zone change? Heavy, low rain clouds off port were closing in on the channel entrance.  We still had no marker in sight.  

Luperon Harbor

There was room to turn about but both of us did not want to stand off all night so we slowly creeped forward between pale white breakers on both sides.  Finally Susan spotted the unlit marker silhouetted against the water.  We had decided to take the lesser used but closer "testicles-looking" large anchorages (Susan's description not mine) when a flashlight drew our attention to a previously unseen small fishing skiff in our path.  He must have feared being run over just as we do by large shipping and rightly so as our path was somewhat swervy the helm steerage opposite the iPad GPS path always confusing me.   They caught Susan's attention and somehow communicated to follow them to the next marker towards the main anchorage.  I reluctantly let go my instinct to continue the shorter way and drop hook in the "right ball" and followed the intermittent flashlight dog legging to the right.  Before I could see the marker, the channel opened up into a completely protected anchorage flanked by mountains all around, peaceful resting silhouetted masts and hulls ahead.  Susan said it has been referred to as the best hurricane hole in the Caribbean.  After a couple of attempts to position the F40, we finally dropped anchor a little too close to a neighboring boat; tense and tired but relieved, I said to Susan we will apologize to the boat in the morning which we did, the Montreal couple assuring proximity and scope no problem.

Toi et Moi at anchor

Waiting for the Navy!

We both slept well that night even though we were anxious to wake the next morning to see this fantastic beautiful anchorage.  Papo appeared early AM aggressively selling $2/moorings even taking me around in his skiff pointing out various locations.  I deferred wanting to scout the anchorage by dinghy as we always do but I did buy his $10 DR courtesy flag. Our next group of visitors was the Navy, but we will save that story for our next entry.