Day 73 : Exploring the DR

And now the rest of the story...

Yolas at the government dock at Luperon

First thing next morning, Opti alerts bringing Jon out of the cabin alerted as well.   Popa, a local, is hanging on the side the F40; his smile toning down my alert if not Jon and Opti's.  Popa manages the makeshift moorings of his own design (55gal. drums filled with concrete) scattered around the anchorage as well as any other service that you want.  We declined but later took one at $2/day gringo bucks.  Our logic was the mooring integrity will always be in question but it's not hurricane season in arguably the best hurricane hole in the Caribbean.  And buying into a local's reasonable service might facilitate security

(or the opposite!).  Security has held knock on wood however that might not have been the case 2 years ago, mooring or not.  That's another story we can share over a cerveza when you come visit us.    As Popa was leaving in his Yola, a panga-like fishing boat, we yelled, "What about clearing in"?   "No problema!  I bring the Navy in my boat."  And  sure enough he did.  Four guys, only one in an Army uniform, boarded our boat and crawled around everywhere.  Jon followed noticing a snub nose in one waistband adjusting his alert/attitude accordingly.   They conducted a thorough search of both cabins, even looking under berths and lifting floorboards.  They found no weapons which would have certainly been confiscated one way or another.   But Richard, the head honcho admired one of our LED tactical flashlight; besides that and $20 US we were given permission to "resume" clearing in?  After another cup of coffee, we headed to the government dock and Luperon to find out what the "resume clearing in" was all about!

Grande Bohemia at JRs

Customs, Immigrations and Agriculture.
The rest of clearing in!

Before we actually made it to town
we had to visit 3 more government offices:  immigrations (2 tourists 
cards for $20), customs ($63), and agriculture ($20 for Opti).  First stop, lunch and cerveza.
Most beer sold are grande bottles of  Bohemia or Presidente and they are huge.  We each ordered a bottle, not knowing.  Several glasses later we learned our lesson.  This grande bottle is still a bargain at less than $2 US.  All in all our lunch, 2 beers, chicken and rice with beans, and pasta for Jon was less than $10 US.  This is typical of the prices all over Luperon!

All for less than $2 US

Next, off to the grocery store to pick up the necessities:  wine and junk food!  Three bottles and snacks... Less than $15.  There is a local bakery with fresh breads, pastries and cookies, great local produce stands and

The local bakery

a small seafood market, all with similar low prices.  Jon's happy because he was able to score a bundle of very decent, fresh DR cigars for $20 US.  Even bought a book by cruising legend Bruce Van Sant for simply buying him a beer.  What's not to like about this place?

Services are also a bargain.  We had our dodger restitched and patched for $30 US.  Locals offered to polish and wax our hull and deck for next to nothing.  This is a great place to get things done.  We decided to take advantage of this bad weather window, stick around,  and get some much needed cosmetic work done on Toi et Moi and continue our exploration of the island.

The beach at La Isabel

Last week we took a trip to La Isabel, sometimes called El Castilla.  This little town is the second oldest European settlement in the Americas, founded in 1493, by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage.  It is also home to the oldest church in the Americas and a beautiful beach, surrounded by mountains.

A DR traffic jam

The Monument in Santiago

Friday we headed to Santiago, the 2nd largest city in the DR.  Home oflarge, two story supermarkets and hardware, DIY- type stores that rival Home Depot.  They even have an Ikea!  It is an hour and a half ride from Luperon but it was good to see a different side of the country.  Did some major provisioning at DR prices.

I will be heading to Florida next week so we will stay put for the month, enjoying the country and the people, both cruisers and locals, who have made this beautiful island their base.

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.

Day 50: The Other Side of Providenciales

T&C, we could stay indefinitely.  Here's an update from Jon.

Old and new sail

Just before leaving Turtle Cove, we met two couples on cats (seems mono hulls shy away from the channel).  A German couple sailed an older Dean from South Africa to T&C via Brazil; the American couple on a modern Leopard from St. Marten.  Both had us over for dinner.  Despite the F40's large cockpit, cats do appear better suited for entertaining on those large aft decks.  Peter and Helga laying up also for a sail and to have their SS bow support for their roller furling fabricated new as it broke enroute which in turn shredded their head sail.  Henry & Lynn bought their cat via the Moorings charter program five years ago; contract up, they're sailing (their boat now) to the Chesapeake area.  We've never actually known someone who bought a boat via Moorings so they gave us all the ins and outs of it. We were amazed; the cat looked brand new after 5 years chartered!  Still we've learned from them that, in weather, although they may not roll as much as monohulls, they pitch up & down much the same as the F40.  These newly made friends were another reason to stay put but our used replacement sail arrived; time to move on and tweak it.

Sapodilla Bay from Sapodilla Hill

Made Sapodilla Bay on Caicos Bank via West Caicos our first evening.  Beautiful little anchorage but a little rough to the trade winds.  We set out to continue testing the sail the following day, planning to make South End a couple of hours away.  But the sail needed adjustments to the boom beyond the reef point and for some reason didn't enable tacks combined with a reefed cat sail.  So we decided to motor; I glanced over at the instruments as I do periodically and saw the gauge showing no RPM.  My eyes shifted right to the temperature gauge...running hot.  Should we drop anchor to troubleshoot in 20 knots or sail against the wind and brain the sail/tacking problem.  We were off the government port and Five Cays but a tug was moored on our other side; decided to sail back to Sapodilla (now familiar) to anchor/repair.  Good choice; as we sailed back another tug appeared towing a large barge in our direction.  We doused the reefed ketch; now downwind doing 7.9 k on the reefed cat sail alone.  By the time we made Sapodilla, I chanced the engine cooled enough, Susan doused the sail, started the diesel briefly and  I set the anchor pretty much where we had before.   On inspection, the alternator V-belt had broken; replaced with a back-up, good to go.  Next morning waiting for a higher tide at Southside...three sailboats arrived to Sapodilla from the Dominican Republic.  It would have made an interesting day but we decided to continue on waving to them as we passed their sterns.

We are now at South Side Marina ($50/day) having anchored off between reefs one night because of

South Side Marina, Provo

an outgoing tide in another somewhat shallow channel dotted with coral heads.  Kai and Dawn, a young couple with crew on an Island Packet drawing 4' passed our anchor continuing into a slip just before dark.   Next morning on an incoming tide, we went in ok, owner Bob graciously directing us to a slip open to port so we could deploy dinghy on that side davits to explore.   Following us, 3 large mono hulls came in.  This is a small cruisers marina and Bob makes everyone feel welcome.

Walked around with Opti where there was moon rock and shore to go in the water; made her day.  She was actually snoring that evening; Susan thought it was me in the cockpit but truth be told sounded more like her.  Badly needed cold only showers felt excellent; felt like new human beings.  Bob started a small bar on the bluff; sure enough come evening voices of all the cruisers and a few locals could be heard up there so we joined the amiable group.  One crew on a  delivery has an Aires wind vane on his boat elsewhere so he is helping us brain ours.  New nylon bushings to reduce friction, not a big expense or job according to Dan.  But we will have to wait until we lay up somewhere for time to do it.

Found on an inland canal!

Saturday was a work day.  I glassed the separated fridge cover (finally got tired of taping it), repositioned/repurposed the aft sail cover as a temporary awning (had it made up wide in case we went with a wider wishbone boom which we didn't), did laundry ($5 + $5' washer & dryer; things ARE high in T&C).   Bob gives cruisers a free ride to grocery store while he has lunch.  Without me to clutter the process, Susan did a great job reprovisioning in the allotted 1 hour.  While she was shopping I  assisted cruisers leaving and coming.  When Susan returned we spent the rest of the afternoon dinghy exploring a maze of nearby little developed canals off the Caicos Bank.

Flutterby and F40s; classic plastics 

Wine on board - bottle , box or??  Susan discovered a wine in a plastic bottle!!  IGA no less. And not bad.  South African "Flutterby", Savignon Blanc much preferred over that Pinot Grigio BOX vino she buys.  Cruisers may be interested - PET bottles reduces Greenhouse gas emissions, are lightweight, virtually unbreakable therefore safer, recyclable and crushable...all good stuff.  "Rich passion fruit flavours ( I'm all for passion) balanced by a fresh grassy edge..." (aromas of dad push mowing the yard), all good.  Small acts and carbon footprints/big changes, environmental awareness; yeah!

Day 36: Turks and Caicos

After enjoying a wonderful Christmas and Boxing Day in Clarence Town, we finally got the weather window we were hoping.  Jon doesn't back up well but Toi et Moi managed to avoid the jetty boulders and finally pointed her bow in the right direction.

And the right direction it was.  We had a perfect sail for the first day and a half.  Then we turned east, heading for the Turks and Caicos.  Once again, the wind was on our nose at 20 knots. Another rough and wet ride, but nothing we weren't used to.  After a day of beating with not a lot to show for it, we cranked up the Perkins to make the entrance to the reef outside Providenciales at dusk.

We had heard Turtle Cove Marina offers a free guide service through the serpentine channel that winds its way through shallows, coral heads and breakers.  We were just about to turn around and standoff for the night when the guide boat showed up; we followed him in docking on New Years Eve.  We celebrated our landfall and the upcoming new year with a conch dinner shoreside.

Our windy path to Turtle Cove Marina

Woke up the next morning to the new year and a new island to explore.  We cleared immigrations and customs but Opti is still waiting on a visit from the Department of Agriculture to legally put her paws in the sand.  Meanwhile, she's happy for landfall again and Jon sneaks her off the boat at night & early morning.

We will probably stay in the Turks and Caicos another week or longer.  We bought a used sail online to replace our shredded ketch sail; hopefully it will be here next week.  It is rated only fair+ but that is better than none and this original rig is hard to find used. Next leg to Dominican, Puerto Rico or Virgin Islands will be long and we need more power and balance. We are tired so any advantage will help and this is a great place to rest.  We met a single handed sailor from Quebec who, after beating to windward most of his trip down the eastern seaboard, is doing the same thing...R&R.  We both have this long list of repairs to do yet we are lucky to get one thing done a day.  Today Jon re-tensioned our aft backstay and saw chafe on the boomkin stays so did that too.  Still, it's all good overall, a balanced well being of pain and pleasure.

Pleasure:  Enjoying the local beer at da Conch Shack

Day 17

After traveling 1227 miles, we arrived here, Clarence Town, Long Island, Bahamas, a mere 531 miles from Marathon.  Wherever we pointed our bow, the wind blew in our face and Cuba blocked our way.

2 reefs, a dog and Susan at the helm

We said we were waiting for the end of hurricane season and we did.  After fueling up and topping the water tanks, we departed Marathon at 0815 December 2.    We entered the Florida Straits at Sombrero Reef light, and tacked close hauled all the way to Nicholas Channel where we dodged the Cuban coastline and plenty of shipping traffic. Tiring of dodging tankers and cargo ships (apologies to Ian) we headed toward the Bahama Banks, still bucking 20-25 knot headwinds.   What we thought were the easterly trade winds were really southeasterly forcing a course favoring the Cuban coastline and constant shipping traffic. Our plan was to make landfall at Mathew Town, Great Inagua Island to regroup, reprovision, repair and rest.  Then we planned to examine our options:  continue to Panama via Windward Passage or island hop the Caribbean.  Other variables slowing progress and preventing Mathew Town landfall included weeklong steerage problems associated with the Aires wind vane at the beginning (it's shelved for now), shredding our aft upper sail (the belly was already blown out; still we used upper-to-reef line sail portion (shelved & now down to one cat sail), two 72 hour fronts and two engine failures (impeller and broken starter solenoid), the later creatively repaired to enable our first landfall at Clarence Town.  Our initial thoughts of a two day shakedown to tweak systems have proven to be a continuing process which will probably last the duration of the voyage.  Despite constant boat issues, prolonged sea time seems favorable to us.  Jon's working out his sea sickness thing and I'm adjusting to night watches and cooking on a heel.  Even Opti is adjusting to life at sea and will finally "go" on deck, even in miserable conditions.  

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.  The latest weather report has us socked in here for a few days so we have time to chart our next leg.  And you can always track us by clicking here.

What is this mysterious hitchhiker ?

Let the countdown begin

Toi et Moi--our home sweet home

The time has come.  We left the boatyard in September after a long 4 months. We left the Upper Keys Sailing Club mid-October after a thankful month.  We left the Lorelei after a lovely day sail with Ian and Maggy. And now, we are preparing to leave Boot Key Harbor mid-November for points south.  It has been a long and bumpy road along the way but it is time to get moving again.  

The road, and the seas, will never be totally flat but the journey will continue.  Provisions will be stowed, systems will be tweaked and moorings will be released.  

"Don't be too timid or squeamish about your actions.  All life is an experiment.  The more experiments you make, the better"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Let the experiments begin!