1/28/2012 AND 1/29/2012 THE NIGHT PASSAGE TO SAMANA

01/28/2012 AND 1/29/2012 SAMANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

132 NM

SATURDAY NIGHT WAS SPENT TRAVELING AT SEA

SUNDAY DOCKED AT PUERTO BAHIA MARINA  (http://www.puertobahiasamana.com/)                       
$1./FT/DAY FOR <7DAYS, POWER=.50/KWA, WATER=3.50/DAY

SUNRISE AT PUERTO PLATA ON SATURDAY: 7:19 AM

SUNRISE AT SAMANA ON SUNDAY: 7:13 AM

SUNSET AT SAMANA ON SUNDAY: 6:28 PM

“Hi” to Angelika and Norbert in Germany(Steffi's family). Norbert recently had surgery and seems to be recovering nicely so we are thankful. You had better behave, Norbert, and follow all the doctors’ orders!!

Just a lazy day today with preparations to leave this afternoon, napping and replenishing Dan’s beer supply. Keeping local, he is now onto the Dominican Republic’s Presidente.

PRESIDENTE, THE LOCAL BREW

By 2:00 we were disconnecting the water and paying our marina bill. Next came the clearance to exit by the navy and we were ready to go. Now it was decision time. Do we leave now as planned or hang a little later in hopes that the wind will die down? By 4:00 we were done with the waiting stuff and heading out. The wind and waves were stronger than predicted but, thankfully, they did die down as the night wore on. Unlike our voyage from the Turks and Caicos, we could see friendly lights from the nearby shore all night. Funny how that makes such a difference in your mind set.

THE MATS WERE BEING BLOWN UP TO BLOCK THE PILOT HOUSE WINDOW
DAN TRIED TO PEEK OVER THEM AND DRIVE THE BOAT
(SOON THEY WERE INSIDE)

We got a good look at Puerta Plata from our vantage point in the sea then continued on around the points of Cabo Macoris and Cabo Frances Viejo before having to alter our course to bring us closer into the shore for some calming effects. Then we rounded Cabo Cabron, Cabo Samana and finally, Punta Balandra that brought us into the beautiful Samana Bay.

PUERTO PLATA IN THE HAZE

We did get lucky and see a humpback whale performing in the misty distance and hope to see many more while here. Remember, this is where they come to give birth from January through March.

Puerto Bahia Marina and Resort is stunning! After a pit stop for fuel we snuggled into our new home and got checked in. As guests of the marina we are extended use of the resorts pools, gym, spa, 3 restaurants and bar. We cleaned up from our long, sleep deprived night and enjoyed a lovely lunch overlooking the water then tucked in for a nap. Poor Dan awoke flush and with a fever so he just extended his nap to a full night’s sleep. Hopefully he will be better in the morning. I guess timing is everything. Can you imagine if it had been last night while struggling with a night crossing??

PUERTO BAHIA MARINA
http://www.puertobahiasamana.com/

We were serenaded into the night with live music played by a hot Cuban band right here at the beach restaurant and bar.

01/27/2012 FUERTE DE SAN FELIPE

01/27/2012 OCEAN WORLD MARINA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


FRIDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT OCEAN WORLD MARINA NEAR PUERTO PLATA $1.26/FT/DAY FOR <7DAYS, .45/KWA, .20/GAL

SUNRISE AT PUERTO PLATA: 7:20 AM

SUNSET AT PUERTO PLATA: 6:32 PM

After another night of rain this morning brought us a lovely day of sunshine. We, once again, walked up the hill to catch a bus/van to Puerto Plata where we visited Fort San Felipe, the oldest European fort in the new world. Columbus’ stop here opened the doorway for the Spanish influence to take hold. In 1540 Fuerte de San Felipe was constructed and served as a stop for traders from Europe. After being abandoned by the Spanish in the 1600s for the up and coming Puerto Rico and Cuba, Puerto Plata became a haven for illicit trading that led to its destruction by a Spanish decree. The city was rebuilt in the 1740s and became a thriving center for the tobacco industry in the later 1800s. Today tourism in the surrounding areas contributes to the city’s economy.

FUERTE DE SAN FELIPE

THE FORT ENTRANCE

PROTECTING THE FORT

THE RESTORED FORT STAND S PROUDLY OVER THE HARBOR

El Faro, the cast iron light house that stands 137’ above sea level, was first constructed in 1879 then was restored in 2004.

RESTORED EL FARO LIGHTHOUSE

TRIBUTE TO GREGARIO LUPERON, THE 20TH PRESIDENT OF
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

01/26/2012 AND YET MORE RAIN

Image via Wikipedia

WE ARE JUST WEST OF PUERTO PLATA
ON THE NORTH SHORE

01/26/2012 OCEAN WORLD MARINA IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

THURSDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT OCEAN WORLD MARINA NEAR PUERTO PLATA $1.26/FT/DAY FOR <7DAYS, .45/KWA, .20/GAL

SUNRISE AT PUERTO PLATA: 7:20 AM

SUNSET AT PUERTO PLATA: 6:31 PM







And yet more rain!!! First it rained all Wednesday night then had the nerve to interfere with our day. Definitely not acceptable at all. Oh yes, it rained again most of last night too.

Dan and I just kind of hunkered down on Quest for a day of reading and utilizing the marinas free WI-FI. We hardly ventured out at all. Our XM Weather on the Garmin Chart Plotter is out of range down here but our Sirius Radio continues to work. DirecTV is long gone too.

Due to our location in the marina we were able to catch some of the Ocean World’s sea lion show between the drips. Be sure to go to their webpage to catch a glimpse of the fine facilities here.
http://www.oceanworldmarina.com/

SEA LIONS PERFORMING

HAMMING IT UP FOR THE CROWD

01/25/2012 TAKING THE BUS TO PUERTO PLATA

01/25/2012 OCEAN WORLD MARINA, DR
http://www.oceanworldmarina.com/


WEDNESDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT OCEAN WORLD MARINA NEAR PUERTO PLATA $1.26/FT/DAY FOR <7DAYS, .45/KWA, .20/GAL

SUNRISE AT PUERTO PLATA: 7:20 AM

SUNSET AT PUERTO PLATA: 6:31 PM

Last night’s downpour earned us a spectacular rainbow this morning. We are learning why this island is so lush and green. Not only does it have freshwater rivers and lakes but the rain constantly feed the greedy soil and plant, a small price to pay for the ability to grow crops.

THE MORNING RAINBOW HOVERS OVER THE MARINA

A BEAUTIFUL WHITE HIBISCUS FLOWER

THIS MAN WAS "MOWING" THE FIELD WITH HIS MACHETE

Our big excursion today involved leaving our own safe compound and venturing up the hill to the highway. From here we caught one of the little collective minivan/buses to Puerto Plata, the second oldest town in the new world. We crammed into a couple of open seats and crept at a snail’s pace, stopping to dispatch or accept new passengers, until we exited at the entrance to the town. Walking the streets of town we observed typical shops, unusual motorbike taxis, the lovely Parque Central and picturesque old buildings. We took time out to sample some of the ice cream shop’s wares then walked on. This area is known for its large source of clean amber and is home to a museum/shop for the tourist’s enjoyment.

PARQUE CENTRAL

WOMAN CARRYING HER WARES IN THE PARK

COLORFUL AND CHARMING

STOPPING FOR ICE CREAM

After catching the bus back to our stop and meandering our way back towards the marina, we stopped at a charming little ocean front bar and restaurant for a light afternoon libation. We wiled away much of the afternoon sipping our rum, munching on wings, reveling in the ocean breeze and watching the beach activity. The DR is known for its all-inclusive resorts scattered all along the island’s shore line. One of the large resorts was just down the beach from the bar and guests walked the beach or rode the resort’s Banana Boat. We were quite content to just take in all the passing sights.

PAYING OFF THE BUS AS WE ARE THE LAST TO EXIT

NOW THIS IS THE LIFE!

Tonight we got all dressed up and attended the Ocean World Casino’s glittering show. The ocean theme was exquisitely carried throughout the reception area, restaurant, lounge and casino. After the show Dan played a few hands of Blackjack before leaving his $$ in the capable hands of the casino. Unbelievable, not only did they have a $5.00 table but also a $3.00 table. Jackie, you would have loved to find that the slot machines still use coins and they even had a few 5 cent machines. Boy, we haven’t stepped out like that for a while!

 

01/23/2012 AND 01/24/2014 THE RUN FROM PROVO TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Image via Wikipedia

THE FLAG OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

01/23/2012 AND 01/24/2012 
FROM PROVO TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


MONDAY AND TUESDAY

188 NM

MONDAY NIGHT: TRAVELING THROUGH THE NIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT: DOCKED AT OCEAN WORLD MARINA NEAR PUERTO PLATA $1.26/FT/DAY FOR <7DAYS, .45/KWA, .20/GAL

SUNRISE AT PROVIDENCIALES: 6: 29 AM ON MONDAY

SUNSET AT PUERTO PLATA: 6:30 PM ON TUESDAY AFTER TODAY’S TIME CHANGE

The day really started out with a bang! We untied at 6:30, crept out the twisty-turny channel and had spotted our first whale of the day by 9:00. Well, OK, so it was our only whale of the day but still, my heart gave a little flutter when she surfaced.

LEAVING TURTLE COVE MARINA

OUR LAST PROVO SUNRISE

Many times boats head for southern islands from Sapodilla Bay on the south side of Provo. Once a good weather window is established they head on to Big Sand Cay where they drop anchor, grab a couple hours rest then make the night run to the Dominican Republic. We committed to a good long trip by leaving from Turtle Cove Marina. We thought our window was going to bring us smooth sailing and were prepared to just be out there for somewhere around 24 hours. The daylight travel around the island and across the Caicos Bank was not ideal but we were all geared up for the night crossing with the predicted winds to be at only about 15. That is not what happened! We had winds of 18 to 20 almost the entire time and the seas were rough, rough, rough! We had chairs toppling, cupboards flying open and tables tipping. Nobody got much sleep. Poor Dan got only increments of an hour or less and only eked that out a couple of times. We were very happy campers when we caught our first sight of the DR. Our expected 24 hour trip took 26 hours but by 8:30 we were all tied up with customs knocking at our door, welcoming us to their lovely country.

APPROACHING THE GREEN HILLS OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

WE FOUND A COUPLE OF HITCHHIKERS AS WE BEGAN CLEANING THE BOAT

QUEST DOCKED AT OCEAN WORLD MARINA

Our fees here were much leaner than in the TCI. The boat was $43.00 and $10.00 additional for each of us. We will need to give the “Navy” $20.00 when we depart this marina (as well as any other marinas we visit) but our permit is good for the duration.

This is like a “destination” resort. Ocean World has a lovely marina facility, a swimming pool, a casino and an adventure park complete with dolphin encounters and sea lion shows. The casino even has a Las Vegas-type show that we may catch one night.

THE CASINO ENTRANCE

01/22/2012 PREPARING TO LEAVE THE TCI

01/22/2012 PROVO


SUNDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT TURTLE COVE MARINA IN PROVIDENCIALES

SUNRISE AT PROVIDENCIALES: 6: 30 AM

SUNSET AT PROVIDENCIALES: 5:32 PM

The last coat of varnish (making it 6 coats on all the brightwork) was applied before our move from these lovely islands. Tom and Jennifer kindly toted me to the well stocked IGA Market to provision and Quest was moved to the fuel dock for a fill-up and the final night’s stay. We are ready for tomorrow’s early start and eager to explore the Dominican Republic.

TOM AND JENNIFER AND THEIR WHEELS

We will leave at first light, exit the marina, make our way out through the reef, proceed counter- clockwise around Provo to its south shore then head SE across the Caicos Bank towards Big Ambergris Cay where we will alter our course a bit to continue on to Ocean World near Puerto Plata on the north shore of the Dominican Republic. We expect this to take us about 24 hours of continuous sailing, if all goes.

Some of the names here on Provo are just too, too charming. There is Ooh, Aah Hill ( you are saying ooh, ooh all the way up the hill and aah when you coast down) and Leeward-Going-Through but I think my favorite is Suzie Turn with the story of its naming. Seems there were two business that did a lot of work together and “Suzie” was always taking things between the two (pre-FAX days). Now Suzie was forever missing the turn and her boss erected a sign in hopes of guiding her. SUZIE, TURN!! (As in turn here, now) Whether or not it solved the problem, the name stuck to this day. Cute?

SUZIE, TURN!!!!!

It has been a really nice stay here but, man, the fees sure rack up. First it was $15.00 for Immigration then $50.00 to Customs for a 7 Day Permit. Due to the windy weather we were forced to extend our stay and had to purchase a Cruising Permit for an additional $300.00 and now we have had to pay a $50.00 exit fee. It wouldn’t have been so bad if we could have left on Thursday but extending our stay until Monday really added a chunk!!

01/21/2012 SNORKELING THE REEF AND EXPLORING IN con-QUEST

01/21/2012 PROVO



SATURDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT TURTLE COVE MARINA IN PROVIDENCIALES

SUNRISE AT PROVIDENCIALES: 6: 30 AM

SUNSET AT PROVIDENCIALES: 5:31 PM

Dan the Man got two more coats of varnish on the brightwork, one in the morning and the second in the late afternoon. Boy is it looking good.

Jennifer and Tom from Ohio took a little excursion with us in our con-Quest. We did a little snorkeling but the waters were just too rough for total enjoyment. I did spot a big eel lurking in the crevice of a huge coral head, a barracuda and the usual crowd of little reef fish.

Heading on east along the coast we feasted our eyes on some of the fabulous beach resorts like the Beaches, Point Grace, the Club Med and Pelican Beach to name just a few of the larger ones. After entering Leeward-Going-Through we nosed around some of the man made channels with homes and boat docks adorning the shores. On our way back we “rescued” a couple and their darling 18 month old son who had ventured out walking and over extended themselves. We just gave them a ride to a dock where they could grab a taxi back to their hotel. Con-Quest to the rescue!!!

ONE OF THE LOVELY  HOMES IN THE CUT AREA

THE MAN MADE CHANNEL LINED WITH  HOMES AND DOCKS

01/20/2012 THE BIRDS AND THE BEES IN THE TCI

01/20/2012 PROVO


FRIDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT TURTLE COVE MARINA IN PROVIDENCIALES

SUNRISE AT PROVIDENCIALES: 6: 30 AM

SUNSET AT PROVIDENCIALES: 5:29 PM

I have discovered the little Plovers that so remind me of Vermont’s plentiful Killdeer. They are of the same family and exhibit similar habits. Just like the Killdeer, this Plover will also feign a drastic injury and cry out if a predator nears her nest. The trouble is that their nests are almost impossible to spot so you can only follow their lead to avoid the extremely well camouflaged nest eggs to avoid stepping on them.

PROVO PLOVER CRUISING THE DOCK

The TCI is also home to a dwindling number of Rock Iguanas. The Cyclura carinata, a species unique to the TCI, can be found on Little Water Cay and Big Ambergris Cay where they are being studied by scientists from the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. The iguana is also being reintroduced to some of the other islands and nature sanctuaries.



Image via Wikipedia

                               TCI ROCK IGUANA

Another species unique to the TCIs is the Turks Island Boa. These little non-venomous serpents feed on small lizards during their nocturnal forays.

We were lucky to see a small sea turtle swimming around the boats in the marina. This little beauty was quite content to amuse us while swimming amongst the fish beneath the dock.

TURTLE COVE MARINA'S VISITING SEA TURTLE

This is the beginning of the whale migration and, although we have not seen any yet, they are being spotted in the nearby waters. The North Atlantic Humpback Whales have left their summer feeding grounds in Newfoundland and are “hell bent” on getting to The Silver Bank where they will mate and birth their calves. These relatively shallow grounds lie southeast of the TCI and north of the Dominican Republic. We will be ever vigilant in our watch for them and hope to be reporting sightings soon.

01/19/2012 BRINGING HANCO FROM CAICOS MARINA TO TURTLE COVE

01/19/2012 PROVIDENCIALES
THURSDAY

0 NM

DOCKED AT TURTLE COVE MARINA IN PROVIDENCIALES

SUNRISE AT PROVIDENCIALES: 6: 30 AM

SUNSET AT PROVIDENCIALES: 5:29 PM

Aha, finally no wind!!!

Sandi was at Quest shortly after 7:00 AM and we were off to board Hanco for a day of repositioning it back here at Turtle Cove Marina. You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day on the water.

HANCO IS BACK IN THE WATER AND READY TO TAKE OFF

SANDI AND DAN TENDING TO THE TENDER

JOHN HAPPY TO BE BACK IN THE HELM

Due to the treacherous coral heads and shoals, the exits and entrances to the bays are accessed by often convoluted routes. We had to continue quite a way south after leaving the marina before we were able to head west. Then we had to give the western shore of the island a wide berth as we turned north. Once again we gave the rocky reef plenty of respect and went way north before turning east and making for Sellers Cut that would bring us inside the reef. Now comes the really convoluted trail that you must follow to reach Turtle Cove Marina. John had called for an escort as recommended but we were well on our way before he arrived to guide us into the marina. Nice job John! Hanco is now docked at her home for the next bit and John and Sandi were greeted by many old friends from years past.

WE MADE IT INSIDE THE REEF SAFELY

OUR PATH FROM THE SOUTH SHORE TO TURTLE COVE ON THE NORTH SHORE