Santo Domingo

The big trip for the week was to Santo Domingo which is the capital of the Domincan Republic (DR).  The first few days in the marina were spent relaxing, tidying up the boat and generally enjoying being close to shoreside amenities.  In the marina complex there are a couple of restaurants, a bar, a laundry, a shop and a pool which the kids enjoy.  There is also an animal/waterpark here which Calley is dying to go to.

On Sunday it was boat cleaning day. You have no idea how dirty the boat gets.  Its incredible.  The topsides gets coated in a layer of salt so thick the crystals make the boat sparkle in the sunlight.  Inside the dirt just collects in the corners.  You wonder where it all comes from when you are living on the water.  Luckily its not such a big job when everyone gets involved.  The next day we were due to take Sam and Calley to the animal park but the weather was raining when we got up so the trip got canned much to the despair of Calley.  Instead Nicole, Beth and the kids went into Puerto Plata for a look around.  

The marina at Cofresi

Scott remained on the boat with a local electrician trying to figure out why the bow thruster and anchor winch had suddenly stopped working.  This had happened just after we had berthed the boat and is a major problem.  At first we thought it was just the bow thruster which while a real inconvenience is not a show stopper but the anchor windlass runs off the same power supply and whatever the problem it had affected both systems.  Without the anchor windlass we cannot leave.  Even if we wanted to we could not manually handle the chain on the boat.

A local electrician called Elias came down and poked around for a bit.  As is usually the case Scott assumed the worst with scenarios of entire unit replacements and weeks stuck in the DR running through his mind.  After a couple of hours the problem was traced back to a broken terminal clamp on one of the battery posts - simple fix!  While the rest of the crew were away and the boat was in pieces Scott took the opportunity to do a couple of other odd jobs on the boat, the messiest of which involved the changing out of a couple of pieces of hose in the black water (sewage system) lines.  Most of the sewage lines on the boat are rigid plastic tube but there are some in a couple of areas where flexible hose has been used.  Over time the smell permeates the hoses and eventually you get an odour from it.  This had happened to two sections in the spare cabin where Beth was sleeping.  One section was relatively straight forward to replace but the other one turned into a bit of a nightmare.  Eventually both hoses were on and then the job was to clean up the mess made in the process.  Scott eventually finished around seven o’clock and then we went out to dinner leaving the kids with Beth.

We had booked a hire car through the marina and at 0900 the next day Scott and Sam went over to take receipt and fill in the paperwork.  The car turned up and it was a pretty battered Suzuki Grand Vitara.  The paperwork involved signing a single sheet which said we were responsible for everything and anything.  We had read that driving was bit dodgy in the DR and that it was a good idea to get full insurance as they tended to throw you in jail first and ask questions later.  Scott asked the hire guy about the insurance and he wrote on the form “full cover” and that was apparently that.  We were now insured although not convinced.  Scott went to inspect the car and point out any scratches etc (which would have taken a while) but the man said no need as it was full cover.  Remember all this is being done in Spanglish.  

Prior to leaving we had to move the boat to a more secure pen as the weather was up and the marina had a bit of surge coming through.  Its always a bit of a concern when we have to leave the boat without anyone onboard for a few days.  Finally around midday we got everyone off, locked up and loaded into the car.  First thing we noted was that there was no fuel in the vehicle so we found the nearest filling station and then headed to Santo Domingo around 230kms away.

Sam picks up admirers everywhere 

The driving is nuts.  They drive very fast and the cars and buses are in all sorts of condition.  The roads we were on were not too bad but you need to really concentrate not just on your driving but anticipating what everyone else going to do.  It was similar to driving in some parts of Asia so luckily it was not completely foreign to us.  The countryside is very hilly and quite spectacular.  There are three main mountain ranges running across the DR separated by fertile valleys and we had to drive across them.  You can see its is a relatively poor country as you drive across it.  Very similar to Indonesia in that way.  Along the roadside are villages which comprising wooden huts and then every now and then is a bigger town with buildings but very haphazard.  There was one main town en-route called Santiago where we stopped for lunch but apart from that we drove straight through to Santo Domingo arriving in the early evening.  The outskirts of Santo Domingo are like many other cities in poorer countries with a population of 3 million:  It is dirty and dusty, the streets and buildings unplanned and poorly maintained, cars and motorbikes are everywhere along with the accompanying exhaust fumes, power lines are strung on poles which are never straight and people are wandering around trying to survive.  It is amazing however that even though the country is obviously struggling with it’s economy and that many people are below the poverty line  there is always space for premium western brands like Ikea and Carrefour.

We had booked a hotel in the old part of town.  The old part of town is a contrast to the rest of the city.  While certainly not pristine it is quieter and does not have the same feel of urban chaos and madness about it as the rest of the city.  Contemporary buildings have not completely overrun the beautiful old buildings although it seems like they are making a very concerted effort.  After a few issues with the hotels we got settled in the Hostal Nicholas de Ovando.  This was the residence of the first Spanish Governor of Hispaniola.  A beautiful building on one of the oldest streets in Santo Domingo and a real treat for us having just come off the boat.

Parque Colon and Catedral Primada with statue of Columbus (Colon)

Our first view of the Caribbean at Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo Old Town Street

Calle en Conde - the main walking street in the old town

The next few days were pretty laid back.  We would get up for breakfast then wander around the colonial zone in the morning until lunchtime.  Early afternoon was siesta time or the kids would play in the pool.  In the evening after aperitivos at the hotel we would go out for another wander and dinner.  The old town is really interesting and the history of the place fascinating.  This was the first colonial city in the new world and the image of and reference to Columbus is everywhere.  There are some beautiful buildings like the cathedral, city courts, houses belonging to the prominent citizens and the old fort and city fortifications.  There are some small squares and quaint narrow streets.  Most of the old buildings date originally from I guess the 1500‘s and 1600‘s although there are some more recent additions from later periods with stunning architecture but generally run down.  Some of the older buildings like the cathedral are in excellent condition while the sprawling city fortifications have been restored in parts but in other areas they are crumbling away.  The history of the place is just so compelling and interesting that you wish you knew more about it.  The kids obviously have a limited attention span to this - there are only so many old buildings they can look at - but we try and drag them around for while and engage them.  Once inside most of the older buildings there are these courtyards with shaded gardens which just exude tranquility and make you want to just lie down and take a nap.  In between the old colonial buildings there are contemporary dwellings many of which are run down and in need of maintenance.  Everywhere, black overhead power lines droop above the streets.

Beth and Nic in Cathedral garb

The spectacular interior of the Cathedral

One of the many tranquil courtyards

We have found the DR people very friendly and helpful and the language barrier is not such a problem once you have mastered cerveza, por favor and gracias (usually used in that order).  Even the touts who harass you to buy small souvenirs are polite and go away once you tell them you are not interested.  There is plenty of fresh food in particular fruit on offer which is a step up from the Bahamas.  There are also many opportunities for excursions like rafting, hiking, diving etc.  but on the whole however the DR is a little disappointing in that we thought there would be a bit more unique culture with a European flavour about the place and not so much poverty.  We like wandering around and finding interesting shops or cafes or restaurants but there do not seem to be that many here.  Some investment and an efficient economy would do wonders here.  The unique items here are a semi precious stone called larimar, amber which is very common and cigars.  In Santo Domingo the fantastic history makes up for all of the other drawbacks - wandering around the old buildings makes it easier to try and visualise what it would have been like - now I have to go and get a book on Caribbean history and I still haven't started the one on the American Civil War.  We will need another sailing trip after this one to catch up on all the reading.

The old fort and city walls

The old fortifications 

Canon along the old battlements

We got back to Cofresi on Friday night and were relieved to see the boat still afloat.  We have a couple of more things to do here and then hope to hit a mid week weather window to get further down the coast to a place called Samana.

We made it to the Dominican Republic

We have arrived in the Domincan Republic and have internet for the first time for a couple of weeks so its time to catch up on our exploits.  Have included a second post which we wrote but never got to send which is below this one.

Myaguana island was our last port of call in the Bahamas.  The main reason for stopping was to complete the clearance formalities for  and boat and crew.   We anchored for one night away from the settlement and then the next day we moved around to a place called Abrahams Bay.  This is a huge body of water enclosed by the island on one side a fringing reef on the other.  It was about 5 miles long and Dulcinea could only get about halfway into it before the depth became a concern.  There are numerous coral heads which we have to visually spot to avoid so everyone was on lookout duty.  Once anchored Nic, Beth and the kids went ashore to clear out while Scott did some of the never ending punchlist items for the boat.  

Its an exhausting existance

The next morning we left early in the dark.  It was a bit risky given the coral heads but as we had our course plotted on the chartplotter from the day before we just followed that.  Once clear of the island we set a course for French Cay, a fringing island of the Turks and Caicos group.  The plan was to stage the journey to the Dominican Republic using French Cay and another cay called Big Sand Cay as overnight stops.  This would break up the journey and also give us enough easting to allow us to sail directly to the DR.  We had discounted going into the Turks and Caicos Islands proper because the waters surroundng them are extremely shallow and did not want to risk it.

Motoring on a relatively calm day

During the first part of the sail we found two flying fish onboard.  These are attracted by our lights and fly onto the deck at night.  Apparently you can eat them but to us they looked a bit small and so they got tossed overboard.  We motored to French Cay through a moderate easterly.  French Cay is a small sand bar with some scrub vegetation on top.  This one is a bird sanctuary so all night you could here the cries of the seabirds.  The next day we kept sailing/motoring east to Big Sand Cay which was slightly bigger.  We dropped anchor on the west side in a sheltered bay and were the only yacht around.  It is absolutely idyllic here.  There is a beautiful beach facing us which rises to sand cliffs at the north end and peeters out to a fringing reef at the south end.  The east side of the island is exposed to the full force of the Atlantic and so is quite windswept and rough.  There is a slight surge curling around the southern reef into the bay but nothing too uncomfortable.  Needless to say the water is crystal clear over a white sand bottom.

Calley and one of the flying fish

Beautiful Big Sand Cay

After arriving and looking at the weather we decided to just stay here for a week and catch the next weather window.  This will give everyone the chance to relax and we will be able to get some schooling done.

Dulcinea at anchor at Big Sand Cay

The next morning we awoke and found a catarmaran had joined us in the bay.  They turned out to be a Belgian family.  We met them early on in the day and got invited across to their boat for drinks that evening.    During the day we schooled and then went ashore.  The island is very narrow and it looks like when storms sweep across it the ocean breaches the island from one side to the other.  On the West side there was lots of ocean rubbish.  It is amazing what gets washed up - the usual spread of garbage like bottles, cans, floats etc but then other stuff like an outboard engine, lightbulbs, hard hats etc.  The kids played on the beach and everyone relaxed.

By the time the afternoon had arrived another smaller boat had anchored.  Late in the afternoon Nic, Calley and I went across to the Belgian boat and met Pierre and Nathalie and their kids.  The cat was a good size (Lagoon 500) and so had a great entertaining space.  Pierre had stocked the boat with 200plus bottles of champagne before he left europe and he proceeded to feed it to us during the evening.  The crew from the other boat also came across to join us.  They were Israeli so we had a very cosmopolitan get together.  There is an immediate bond when you get together in these circumtances and the evening was very enjoyable.  We left late at night promising to catch up with them in the San Blas Islands later in the year.  

Next morning Pierre and Nathalie took off to Providenciales in the Caicos Islands and the Israelis left for Luperon and we were once again left on our own.

Dinnertime onboard

The weather was forecast to kick up from the North East for a few days.  We figured that we would have enough shelter and could ride out the weather until the next window arrived.  We awoke on the Monday morning to a rolling surge building from the north.  The surge was able to wrap around the island and send a significant swell into the anchorage which was very uncomfortable.  We set a stern anchor to orientate our bow into the swell and then hunkered down for a few days to wait for the strong winds to abate.  In these situations you just have to set up as best you can and then hope for the best.  The anchor gear was under a fair amount of strain and was creaking and groaning the whole time.  Scott is on edge always while the weather is like this - just waiting for something to give.  We got some school done but not as much as we wanted.  Also have started baking bread as our fresh food is running very low.  When the rolling gets up you get very lethargic so a lot of time is spent reading, watching movies or resting.  Scott also downloads the weather forecasts religiously through the satcom tracking the breaks.

The surf breaking about 100m from the boat

The weather built on Sunday/Monday, reached its full force by Tuesday and started to die down again by Wednesday.  At its height the waves through the bay were pretty impressive when they crashed against the beach or cliffs.  The power is as awesome as it is relentless.  We were just glad that our gear held.  Each situation like this gives us more confidence in the boat.

One high point was we were able to watch whales occasionally a few miles away.  It was Nic who spotted them first.  You see either the splash of water when they jump, the spouts from them breathing or a massive tail or fin.  After  the first time we kept our eye out and spotted more and more.  The area just south and east of here is a big humpback whale breeding ground and this is the season they migrate to it.

We had decided to leave at midnight on Thursday so we spent the day getting ready.  Sam and Scott had to go and excavate the stern anchor which had dug it self in a bit too well.  While they were diving on it they were watched the whole time by a small barracuda.  These things have a mouth that kind of sneers and eyes that never leave you.  Its kind of unnerving.  Later the kids and Beth had a final trip to the beach.  In the late afternoon we had a visit from some whales which was just amazing.  We were anchored in about 5m of water and felt there was no way the whales would come in that close but on two occasions three or four whales came with in about 40m of the boat.  It was a fantastic sight.  Always one or two adults with a calf.  You could see them clearly and hear them breathing as they surfaced.  If just for that experience alone we were glad to have stayed a week at this cay.

Humpback Whales

The whales

We left at midnight as planned.  The wind was higher than forecast and the seas a bit rougher than expected.  By daylight we were sailing in 2 to 3 m seas with a 20kt breeze.  Considering we were beating into the weather it was not too uncomfortable.  Beth is handling the sailing much better and not suffering the motion sickness as much.  The coast of Hispaniola is awesome.  After being in the Bahamas for the last two months where all the land is extremely low lying we are now confronted with massive hills appearing on the horizon.  They just seem to appear - there are green low lying hills at the coast and then behind them much higher hills of which you can only see the silhouette.  The wind was a few points too far south and so closing the coast of DR we had to motorsail for about and hour to round a headland but then we sailed on to the marine at a place called Colfresi.

We followed a couple of charter boats into the marina and tied up at around 1600 after a very exhausting day.  Having been away from any major settlement for almost six weeks everyone is very excited about arriving here.  Nic and Scott went to clear in with the authorities and found it was a relatively easy process.  We had heard horror stories about officialdom here but so far so good.

So we have finally made the DR.  This feels like our first real overseas destination and is a major milestone to getting to the Virgin Island where at last the winds will be more in our favour.  So we plan to relax here for a week or so before moving on to a place called Samana on the east coast.  The trip to Samana can be a real horror if you do not chose the weather correctly so the key is to wait for the appropriate opening.  Meanwhile we will be exploring.

George Town to Mayaguana

We left Georgetown on Wednesday on the 30th January just after meeting a really nice South African family on a boat called Windchasers.  Its seems to be the way of it when cruising that you meet some people, just get to know them and then have to move on.  Anyway these guys are heading to the BVI’s so hope we will catch up with them along the way.

We did our last bits of shopping, laundry and errands in Georgetown on Tuesday.  Wednesday morning everyone was up early and Beth and Sam made a run into Georgetown to collect our laundry and get a last refill of our water jugs.  We have discovered a problem with the fix for the watermaker - the new pump can only be run for 15mins at a time.  Allowing for the manufacturers safety margin and flushing of the system this means that we probably have about 15 to 20 mins of water production at a time which with our system equates to about 30 to 40 litres.  Should be able to maintain our water levels with that.  New pump is ordered and will be delivered to Scotts brother on the 19th Feb.

We departed the anchorage and motored south out of Elizabeth Harbour.  The southern entrance has a number of reefs and isolated rocks strewn about.  The charts have a route through but its still a anxious transit until you clear the islands and are in the ocean.  At a place called Fowl Cay there was a catamaran up on the rocks.  This had happened only a few days ago.  A couple coming from the UK had crossed the Atlantic and were making for Elizabeth harbour.  Their charts showed a route through but it was very dicey and they ended up on the reef.  The boat is a right off but the people got off OK.  Just makes you think though and reinforces a conservative approach to passage planning and sailing.

We were headed to a place called Conception Island but with our late departure we decided to anchor overnight in the lee of the tip of Long Island at a place called Cape Santa Maria.  Had a great sail and the anchorage was beautiful.  Another boat called Innamorata joined us and sailed with us the next day to Conception Island.  We were in radio contact with them and they took some video and stills of us sailing which I will post at the next available opportunity to prove that we really are sailing and not shacked up on a beach somewhere posting stories .   We anchored off Conception Island mid morning.

Dulcinea sailing with reefed main en route to Conception Island

The beach at Conception Island 

Picture of our anchor chain at Conception.  We are anchored in about 5m of water and this chain is lying on the seabed.  You can also see the scour marks in the sand it is that clear

Everytime we anchor we are astounded by the clarity and colour of the water.  Just when you think it is as clear and blue as it can get we pull into another spot and its better.  Conception Island is where some people think Columbus first landed (and not San Salvador).  Its a pretty, small island and the anchorage was off a beautiful white sand beach in a large bay fringed at one end by coral reefs.  There were about a four or five other boats there by the end of the day.  Unfortunately the weather was still blowing so limited our snorkeling abilities.  We went ashore and spent some time on the beach, had a play with the kids and did some snorkeling and then went back to the boat.  We also caught up with Carol and Steve of Innamorata and got the photos they had taken.

One thing that you notice even on these outlying uninhabited islands is the trash that gets washed ashore and deposited at the high water mark.  Unbelievable.  It makes you wonder how the hell its ever going to be cleaned up and if its in these places there must be nowhere on the planet which is really untouched.

We left the next day for Rum cay which is about 20NM south east.  There was no wind so we motored the whole way.  Our fishing luck seems to have deserted us.  We have had a few strikes but cannot deck the fish.  The consolation was that we had a small pod of dolphins playing in our bow wave for 15 mins during the voyage.  Its always special to see dolphins.  Rum Cay is another small isloated island but there is a small community on the island.  We anchored in a big wide sandy bay as close to the settlement as we dared in about 4m of water.  Once anchored we did some school and then relaxed.  Later in the day Innamorata joined us with one other boat in the anchorage.

Beth, Nic and Kids on bow looking at dolphins

Scott was keen to make use of a favourable wind coming through later in the night and we agreed to leave the same day however as the departure time grew close we talked and wondered whether we were rushing through the last part of the Bahamas.  It is tricky because we could get stuck in one place for over a week with unfavourable winds so you want to make the most of any good conditions but then that means sacrificing some time in each destination.  Its a balancing act.  Scott is always keen to move on so as not to get stuck.  It is more so on this section or our cruise as we have some open stretches of water to navigate with few ports of refuge along the way.  There was another weather window in a couple of days so we had a vote - yes thats right a vote - and we decided to stay until Sunday afternoon.

We made use of the day by doing school work in the morning and then later went ashore.  The weather was not great but it was interesting going ashore.  The settlement is very poor and consists of a few houses / shacks.  There was a marina there but it had closed down due to hurricane damage.  We ended up along the beach at a building where there were some locals hanging around.  One of the buildings was called Kays and we went inside.  The building was really just four walls on a sand floor.  There was a small bar with a few bottles of alcohol and a fridge about a quarter full of beer.  The walls were covered with ancient memorabilia and there were a few old tables and chairs.  Remarkably we got a drink and then Kay said that she could rustle up some fish for dinner.  We sat outside with some other boaters at a decrepit plastic table under a sun shade that had started off life as a satellite dish which been thatched many years ago and which had now lost most of its thatching.  There really is a sense of decay about the settlements on these outlying islands and you wonder how people make a living.  If they cannot get a tourist hub established it seems there is very little investment in the place.   About an hour later Kay told us dinner was ready and we went back inside to see a table had been set with tablecloth and napkins and had a sensational dinner of fresh fish, vegetables and salad.

Alfresco at Kay's

Kay's Restaurant - Rum Cay.  Appearances can be deceptive

Next day Scott, Sam, Calley and Beth went snorkeling on some nearby reef.  The reef was good but much of it is covered in green algae which is an effect of global warming.  There were lots of fish, many different colourful fan corals and some great formations.  On the way back to the boat Scott and Sam saw a couple of turtles and then a reef shark.  It came within a few feet of Sam who was not particularly phased.  Scott saw it as it was swimming away and immediately freaked and  got everyone back in the boat and returned to the safety of Dulcinea.

Rum Cay

The wind was forecast N/NNE at about 20 to 25kts.  We left at around 1400 and started sailing southeast.  Once clear of the island the winds kicked in at full force and we were seeing gust to 33kts.  We had reefed down the main and were only flying the staysail up front so we were ready for it.  The seas built as well however and it was a pretty rough ride for most of the trip.  It is the first time we have had the lee side deck awash due to the rolling   This was Beth’s first real open water sail and she succumbed to sea sickness pretty bad.  She spent most of the trip lying on the cockpit floor after throwing up everything she could.  It was a bit of an ordeal for everyone but the boat handled the conditions well and apart from some eggs and books flying around down below we came through unscathed.  We sailed through the night and arrived in Mayaguana Island around midday and dropped anchor in Start Bay much to Beths relief.

Mayaguana is one of the last Bahamian islands and we have stopped here to obtain some clearance papers for the Dominican Republic and to wait for the weather to abate.  Next push will see us enroute for Luperon in the Domincan Republic.

A belated Gong Xi Fa Cai to all out there who celebrate it.  Hope you had a good holiday.