We crossed the Mona Passage on Sunday and Monday and had a pretty good experience for the most part. We saw whales jumping clear out of the water and many many water spouts. What a sight! Once we were out a bit from shore the seas were about 8 feet when we left but with a long interval so we were comfortable. The wind was to close to our bow so we had to motor sail. When we rounded the hourglass shoal we had some pretty rough seas for a bit but then were able to sail for several hours. The real fun started when the wind died and we decided to motor again. We were having some trouble with the engine and thought the transmission was shot, the dollar signs were floating in the air. The engine would rev up for no reason and realized it wasn't the transmission but after a little more work Steve thought it might be the throttle. We sailed until there was no wind at all and then the engine wouldn't start. Steve changed the fuel filter and realized we had contaminated fuel. We were able to motor slowly for a bit and then sailed for hours at a mere 1.5 knots, thankfully the seas were flat. Let me tell you how much fun it is to clean a fuel tank! We removed the fuel and scraped out the gunk, we were glad we only had 10 gallons in the tank!
We are in Boqueron, a very nice harbor with a beautiful beach. It is a college hang out on weekends but now it is quiet. Met some neighbors that had rented a car so we had a tourist day and did some sightseeing.
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1-19 We arrived at dawn and the misty early morning light gave us our first view of the mountainous terrain of the Dominican Republic rising out from the sea. We are at a large marina called Ocean World that is capable of holding 240 boats (up to 240' feet in length) and there are only 15 here. We have a pool, showers, laundry, casino and Las Vegas style stage shows. All for dirt cheap! We went to dinner and the show Bravisimo last night. It was very colorful and high energy. The singing, dancing and costumers were all very good.
We rented a taxi (van) and a tour guide for the day. We have seen more people and cars today than in the last several months combined. We toured the Brugal Rum factory and much rum was purchased! We did a bit of sight seeing and had lunch. It was a busy and fun day but we are just not used to all the noise, every vehicle beeps its horn constantly (or so it seamed).
1-23 We left Puerto Plata Ocean World Marina at 5:30 PM for our journey along the north coast of Dominican Republic to Santa Barbara de Samana. We had a beautiful sunset behind the city to send us off and we even saw a bit of fireworks. The other two boats left the next morning as the are much faster than we are. It was an uneventful night (thank goodness) and an absolutely gorgeous day to follow. This part of our trip was half of the portion that we had heard could be quite unpleasant. We had light winds, so light that we couldn't even sail. The seas were uncharacteristically flat. Other than the fact that we had to motor for 22 hours, everything was perfect! Well not perfect - just as I closed my eyes for a well needed nap, Steve saw a large whale surface just off our bow. We are sure we will see more when we leave here as there are many huge whale watching boats that go out of this harbor several times every day. Thousands of whales migrate here from the North Atlantic to have their young. This harbor is very picturesque, tucked into the mountain terrain as lush as a rain forest. We have taken many pictures so be sure to check them out.
We will head to Puerto Rico when we have a good weather report for the Mona Passage. There is a strong current and the seas can be quite rough, especially if there is a northern wind. This is the other half of the portion that we heard can be unpleasant. We are looking for a day with moderate winds and seas. We listen to Chris Parker every morning on our single side band radio. Chris gives weather and routing information for cruisers in the Bahamas and Caribbean.
1-25 Today we walked around this cute port city and played Turisto. We stopped for a Presidente Cerveza at the local car wash. Yes, a bar with a hand car wash right in it. The taxis are motorcycles with a rickshaw on the back and they are everywhere. We went to the local market to buy fruit and veggies and saw a huge bores head sitting on a bench with flies all over it and you just have them cut off a chunk, beef was the same and chickens - well you don't even want to know.
1-28 We sailed to the national park on the south side of Samana Bay with Sea Angel for several nice quiet days. It was so beautiful and peaceful. We visited a cave that was used many years ago by the local indians and there were many hieroglyphics. What an unspoiled paradise Los Haitses is.
1-30 Back in Santa Barbara de Samana for a night and off to cross the Mona Passage in the morning. We hope to see many whales.
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