A Rough Night in the DR

Have arrived in a place called Samana on the eastern side of the DR.  Pulled into a beautiful marina yesterday morning after a long overnight sail from Puerto Plata.

We stayed around Puerto Plata for a few more days.  We had a couple of things to do but also had to wait for a break in the ceaseless easterly trades.  While we still had the hire car we drove to out to the foothills behind Puerto Plata where there is a cable car station that takes you to the top of the mountain to around 2000m of elevation.  Needless to stay there were spectacular views of the surrounding area from the top.  There was also a small version of the “Christ the Redeemer” statue   associated with Rio - apparently a present from Brazil.  The next day was supposed to have been an excursion to the animal and adventure park which is next door to the marina but Nic had contracted some gastro bug and had been throwing up all night, so much to the distress of Calley we had to delay for a day.  This was the first time any one had been really sick on board.

Puerto Plata

The following day, with Nic recovered, everyone apart from Scott went to the park.  There is the usual animal shows involving seals and dolphins, a couple of tigers and some water rides but there is also the opportunity to interact with the dolphins.  Nic and Calley got to give a dolphin a hug and to feed them while Sam and Beth went into a bigger pool and swam with them getting rides from them also.  It was a real experience for everyone.  Scott enjoyed himself during the day stitching a leather wheel cover onto the port wheel - a job that has been on the list for about 6 months!

Calley was very brave

Nic getting a hug from a dolphin

Beth and Sam with their dolphins

Wednesday was the day we were due to leave - it is also Carnavale.  Shame we would miss seeing the celebrations but Puerto Plata is probably not the best place to experience it.  Everyone is ready to leave here.  Our dock lines have been chewed to pieces by the surge inside the marina.  The day was spent getting ready to sail and organising clearance with the authorities.  They have some strange rules here - even though we had cleared into the country you have to get clearance to move from port to port.  This is called a dispacho.  We went up to the marina to see the officials and obtained our dispacho.  However more concerning we were told that we had to leave by 1800 that evening and that night time departures were not allowed.  

Unless you have seen the weather patterns here its difficult to imagine the difference a few hours can make.  The easterly trades blow almost continuously somewhere around 15 to 25kts.  The wind is generally east but flickers SE and NE so you are always going against the weather.  In addition a swell is generated by the winter storm activity in the Atlantic and sweeps down uninterrupted for 100‘s of miles and generally runs NE along the coast.  All of the above makes it very uncomfortable trying to go east so the recognised strategy is to wait for a front to move SE from the US which interrupts the general flow of the trades.  This happens every 7 to 10 days at this time of year.  In addition, at night the effect of the cooling land calms the wind around the coast to less than 5 kts and also flattens the seas near shore.  

The trades had been particularly strong for the last few weeks and so they were hanging in until around 10:00 o’clock at night.  We had picked this time for our departure but now we were being forced to go earlier.  The swell was also still running a bit higher than was ideal but trying to get everything to line up is difficult.

We managed to stall our departure until 19:00.  Scott was not feeling particularly good about going early but we thought we may as well get it over and done with because conditions would only be marginally better the next night and we would lose a day.  We slipped the mooring and headed out of the marina.  The first half a mile through the marina entrance passage were always going to be wet as there is a funneling of the waves.  Sam and Nic were trying to get fenders and mooring lines in and got absolutely soaked by the water we were taking on.  We got past the channel and set a course east directly into the weather.  As feared the night time lee effect had not yet materialized.  We were motoring into 20kts with seas occasionally to 3 to 4m.  The boat was handling well but pitching quite a bit and slamming every now and then.  On the big waves the bow would submerge and the water would run the length of the bow, and then up over the dodger and break into the cockpit.  For the first time we had clear the cockpit of kids and Calley was pretty scared.  Nic and Scott stayed on deck while everyone else tried to hunker down somewhere and rest.  The sides of the deck were awash and Nic and Scott who were on deck had to don wet weather gear as there was nowhere to stay dry in the breaking waves.  For the first time we had to put the washboards in place and close the main hatch.  We had leaks through Sam’s cabin hatch and in Beth’s cabin.  The saloon had taken water through the main hatch before it had been closed.  It was a horrible.  

On deck everything was soaking.  Nic and Scott settled down and tried to get through the night.  One would stay awake on watch while the other would curl up on the cockpit seat and try and snooze but it was pretty uncomfortable as the cushions were below and we were wet.  To give you some idea, a coil of soggy rope made a pretty good pillow.  You would be lying down and get as comfortable as possible with one ear trying to listen to the boat and then a wave would break and water would pour over the dodger.  If you were quick enough you could pull back and squeeze yourself into the corner of the cockpit and avoid the initial deluge but regardless you get wet from the run off which pours over over the companionway and into the cockpit.  

This lasted for about three hours but then the night time effect started to make itself felt and the wind dropped, the seas flattened into a long period swell and the boat motion became a lot more easy.  We stopped taking on water over the cockpit and then could get comfortable to lie down on the bench cushions and get some sleep.  Nc and Scott alternated watches every 2 or 3 hrs.

The next morning saw us off the NE corner of the DR.  The scenery was spectacular.  Very Jurrasic Park’esque.  The soaring inland mountains roll green to the coastline where huge sheer cliffs plunge into the ocean.  The cliffs are lit by the morning sun and have rusty red streaks running through them.  Even from a couple of miles out you can see the swell pounding at the base of the cliffs and sending up clouds of white spray.  The sea is a beautiful blue and it is hard to imagine the contrast to the previous night.  We motored on with the weather calming all the time and arrived off the marina at Samana in flat calm conditions.

Unable to raise anyone on the radio we motored into the marina and were directed to tie up at a free berth.  We had heard from other cruisers that this marina was good.  It is relatively cheap and is part of a hotel complex.  We got moored although incurred a huge scratch down the boat side due to the line handlers onshore pulling our bow in to sharp.  This is the first real bad scratch on the hull.  It annoys you but there is not much you can do about it.  Once we sere secure we went through the entry formalities.  This time a representative from the Navy and the intelligence service (M2) came onboard.  We offered them a cold drink and the Navy guy looked at our dispacho to confirm everything was in order.  He declared us in compliance.  The guy from the intelligence service can check the boat out for contraband or illegals but in the end he felt it wasn’t necessary.    Some of the rules and regulations seem a bit perplexing but as is advised you just need to stay civil and go along with the requirements.  I think it also helps being in the marinas as the marina management want to ensure an efficient service.  If we went to anchor at the local town I'm sure the process would not be as streamlined.

The ever present schooling - Sam doing test lesson 60

The marina and hotel complex is pretty quiet but very picturesque.  It is nestled at the base of palm tree covered hills.  The layout of the buildings is very similar to Bali - very tropical - open plan with cooling breezes wafting over marble floors.  There are a couple of pools for the kids, a spa for Nic and Beth, a bar and a few restaurants.  It looks really relaxing and the staff are very friendly.  The first night Nic and Scott got invited to a get together at the marina.  There is a regatta here in two weeks and the get together was ostensibly to discuss that.  Turned out it was more of a meet and greet type affair.  We met a few cruisers but generally were too tired from the night before to really enjoy it and so after a quick dinner we collapsed into our bed onboard absolutely exhausted.

Beth enjoying the moment