02/12/2012 ZIPPING AROUND IN OUR CON-QUEST


BOQUERON, PUERTO RICO

SUNDAY

O NM TRAVELED

DOCKED AT CLUB NAUTICO DE BOQUERON, PUERTO RICO $4.38/FT OVERALL WITH POWER AND WATER

SUNRISE: 6:58 AM

SUNSET: 6:28 PM

It was a beautiful morning for a little exploring. Off in our little con-Quest and heading north we found Puerto Real in the next bay up. Dan Q wanted the marina’s Don Q Rum flag! In the bay we found evidence of both the old and new in the old, derelict boat and the modern communications tower. After passing by the old shore houses we ducked into the mangrove channel for a quick “look-see”.

DAN WANTED THE DON Q FLAG FOR OUR QUEST

DERELECT BOAT AND MODERN COMMUNICATIONS TOWER

WATERSIDE HOMES

We ventured further north along the coast, almost to Mayaguez, before turning back. South of Boquerón we discovered the State Park and Beach at El Combate were busy with weekend campers and day-trippers. The lovely bay between Punta Aguila and the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse was home to a charming resort and we imagined staying there.

CABO ROJO LIGHTHOUSE FROM con-QUEST

INVITING RESORT

Back in the Boquerón Bay we checked out the superb hurricane hole, a place to seek some form of security and protection during a raging storm. We planned that our spot would be right in front of the police and US Border Patrol’s hardy dock.

Back in town for Wi-Fi, yummy fish bites and cerveza we found that the bike crowd had descended upon little Boquerón. Everyone co-exists quite nicely here. The boaters, the locals, the tourists, the old, the young and the bikers all take their time to enjoy the novelty of this little getaway.

BIKES LINE THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE POOL HALL AND BAR

Our new friends from the marina, Roberto and Mayra on Descanso, joined us on Quest for cocktails and chat. They brought some homemade Sangria that was mighty fine and you may want to give it a try.

Boquerón Sangria


  1. 1 ½ L Burgundy Wine

  2. 6-8 oz Bacardi 151

  3. 6-8 oz Don Q (or other white rum)

  4. 6-8 oz Vodka

  5. 6-8 oz Triple Sec

  6. 3 cans Puerto Rican La Famosa fruit punch

  7. 2 oz lime juice

  8. 1 cup sugar

  9. 1 can sprite or 7-Up

 10. 24 oz Orange juice

Mix all together and serve over ice. Salud!

02/11/2012 A YACHT CLUB'S INAGURAL BOAT PARADE AND PARTY

02/11/2012 BOQUERON, PUERTO RICO

SATURDAY

O NM TRAVELED

DOCKED AT CLUB NAUTICO DE BOQUERON, PUERTO RICO $1.38/FT OVERALL WITH POWER AND WATER

SUNRISE: 6:58 AM

SUNSET: 6:28 PM

Ah, a good and full night’s sleep after completing an all-nighter is a good thing!

Ok, so we couldn’t get the marina’s free Wi-Fi to accept our sign on and our Verizon card won’t work. After spending quite some time with the Verizon World desk we did get our phones to send and receive emails so I guess that is progress. Our mission for usable Wi-Fi for the PC took us to town and, at the third establishment, we hit the jackpot!!!! Galloway’s WI-FI not only let us on but quickly loaded the photos for the blog. Oh, and our shared lunch of Mofongo (a dish made with plantains, garlic, chicharrones, chunks of fish and lots of cheese) was dynamite too. Dan was able to add a new beer to his list, the Puerto Rican Medalla. It appears that we will be patronizing this establishment everyday of our stay here in Boquerón. A local fisherman brought in his “catch of the day”, an 8 lb. spiny lobster!

A DISH OF MOFONGO AND THE PUERTO RICAN MEDALLA

AND THIS, FOLKS, IS WHAT AN 8 LB. SPINY LOBSTER LOOKS LIKE!

This afternoon was the boat parade for the yacht club. Next year's commodore led the flotilla to a spot by the beach where he stopped and saluted each of the many passing boats in his fleet. Roberto, who welcomed us and assisted with our lines when we arrived here in Boquerón, invited us to join them at the night’s inauguration party and we jumped at the opportunity. Once the business end of the meeting was over, Roberto ushered us into the gaily decorated room and seated us at his table. There was lasagna for dinner, canned music embellished by some live singers with their array of drums and beautiful sensual dancing by all. From the minute the first song began, the floor was full of couples of all ages. What a fun way for us to spend the evening!

THE BOATS ARE ALL DECKED OUT WITH FLAGS

WELCOMING THE COMMODORE ONTO THE LEAD BOAT

ROBERTO'S BOAT



THE BOATS LEADING OUT FOR THE PARADE




AND MORE BOATS FALL IN LINE




THE SKY AWARDED THE YACHT CLUB WITH THIS
SPECTACULAR RAINBOW



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO PUERTO RICO

02/09/2012 AND 02/10/2012

OUR PUERTO RICAN FLAG

LEAVING THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND TRAVELING ACROSS THE MONA PASSAGE TO PUERTO RICO

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

154 NM AND 20 HOURS

OVERNIGHT PASSAGE





Our morning was filled with preparations for our all night run from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico across the Mona Passage. Our marina bill was surprisingly low, especially considering the high quality of the facilities here. We bade adios to our new marina acquaintances and the exceptionally friendly and accommodating staff. The check-outs with the DR Immigration as well as the Navy was accomplished with little or no difficulty. By 2:30 we were untied and moving out into the Bahia de Samana.

OUR LAST SIGHT OF THE TOWN OF SAMANA

Passing Cayo Leventado with her lovely resort we began searching the area for humpback whales. Unfortunately, we only saw a couple distant sprays but no huge tails shooting up from the water.

CAYO LAVENTADO BEACH

Catching a good weather window made this trip so much more enjoyable than the last couple of passage crossings. The near-full moon also kept the sky illuminated and made for good company during the long night. Around 10:30 we came about as close as I car to another boat. The sailboat was probably 100 yards or so off but it seemed almost within spitting distance. A couple of freighters also came in range but tracking their progress just helped to keep us awake.

With hints of the coming sunrise we passed by little Isla Desecheo and began to see lights from mainland Puerto Rico. During his second voyage to the New World in 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered the main island and named it San Juan Bautista to honor the son of Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The first settlement was founded by Ponce de Leon of the “Fountain of Youth” fame and he became the first governor. In 1898 Spain ceded all the islands to the US under the Paris Treaty. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is one of our territories.

MERCHANT SHIP GOING INTO THE PORT AT MAYAGUEZ

After getting settled into our new digs at the modest Club Nautico de Boquerón we took a leisurely stroll through the little town of Boquerón, stopping for empanadas at one of the local haunts. It’s kind of a corny little town with roadside oyster and clam stands, typical beach tchotchke shops and tacky shore bars. I’ll give you a better report after we review a little more!

QUEST AT THE MARINA

STREET SIDE OYSTER AND CLAMS

CRUISING BOQUERON STREET

Our phones seem to be working just grand here in the US Territory of Puerto Rico. Our data, however, ---not so much. Something is going on (or not) with Claro who handles Verizon’s data and we are struggling so bear with us.

02/08/2012 DOMINICAN COFFEE

Coffee cup (Photo credit: @Doug88888)02/08/2012 PUERTO BAHIA, SAMANA


WEDNESDAY

O NM

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

SUNRISE AT SAMANA: 7:09 AM

SUNSET AT SAMANA: 6:34 PM

Another reminder of why the DR is so lush and green came with the morning’s downpour. I used the time to bake some papaya muffins and do our laundry in preparation for tomorrow’s possible transit of the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico.

We scurried between drops to return the rental car to Fabian but not before making a stop for more of the great Santa Domingo Coffee. The first coffee beans were brought here in 1735 with the arrival of the plantation owners and their slaves. Today there are over 340,000 acres of coffee beans and descendants from those original plants still grow on the Dominican slopes. We stocked up on this local treat for under $4.00 per pound. Such a deal!

SANTA DOMINGO COFFEE

The 83.5 ft. sports-fish yacht owned by the Bacardi family, Rumbera, is docked here near Quest. Their 30 ft. fishing tender will make the crossing to Ponce on Puerto Rico’s south shore in a couple of days. The three engines, totaling 1050 horse power, should get them there in less than four hours. It will be a good 26 hours of travel for us and take several days with one overnight passage. Dan wonders if he keeps adding water to Quest and con-Quest if they might grow up to resemble these two vessels. Whadayathink??

Rumbera was built for Joaquine and Joyce Bacardi who is a direct descendant of Don Fecundo Bacardi, the founder of Bacardi Rum.

The fishing tender with three 350 hp engines!!!

We kept our regular afternoon rendezvous at the pool and chatted with several of the boaters that we have met here. We are planning on leaving tomorrow afternoon for Puerto Rico, Ken and Cindy on S/V Meant To Be will probably follow on Sunday and still others are heading back the other way towards the Bahamas. Lots of activity when a weather window opens up!

02/07/2012 A TASTE OF THE LOCAL FARE

02/07/2012 DRIVE TO LAS GALERAS


TUESDAY

O NM

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

SUNRISE AT SAMANA: 7:10 AM

SUNSET AT SAMANA: 6:33 PM

After jumping into our little, red rental car we zipped off through Samana, congested with tourists from TWO cruise ships. While the ships lolled out in the bay, the passengers flocked to shore to partake in excursions, catch a ride on a moto-concho, sip some local Brugal Rum at a street side café and leave a bit of their money in the shops.

THE CRUISE SHIPS ARE IN TOWN

THE BUSES AND MOTO-CONCHOS READY AND WAITING

Today’s destination was the beach town of Las Galeras, located in the lovely Bahia Rincon. We had passed this area in the early morning hours while making our way to Bahia de Samana in Quest. This time we were able to fully appreciate the expansive bay with Cabo Cabron guarding the bay to the northwest. We wandered the streets, ducking into a few shops but didn’t tarry too long.

CABO CABRON MARKES THE ENTRANCE TO BAHIA RINCON

Stopping at some of the roadside stands proved to be the day’s highlight. The fruit vendor sold us many different local treats. The sapodilla (or zapote) was a new experience for us. I, at first, thought they were medium sized potatoes. The accommodating proprietor whipped out his knife and gave us a sampling of this unusual fruit. It has large, dark seeds that you discard. The pulp is reminiscent of a ripe pear and has a mild but delightful taste. Of course we couldn’t resist adding this to our booty. Our stash of local fruit ended up consisting of the sapodillas, a pineapple, bananas, a grand papaya and a gigantic avocado.




LOCAL BANANAS RIPEN WHILE HANGING








HOW'S THAT FOR A PAPAYA?

OUR STASH: PINEAPPLE AVOCADO AND BANANAS
WITH CUT SAPODILLA AND PAPAYA ON PLATE

YES, WE HAVE SOME BANANAS!!!!!

Our next stop brought us to a spot where we bought a disc of luscious flat bread and two empanadas stuffed with fish. At our last stop we bought a piping hot loaf of bread similar to Italian bread. Quite a haul!

HERE WE BOUGHT ONE OF THE ROUND, FLAT LOAVES OF BREAD
THEY ALSO SOLD DRIED AND SALTED FISH

02/06/2012 DAY TRIP TO LAS TERRENAS

02/06/2012 SAMANA PENINSULA                 

MONDAY

O NM

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

SUNRISE AT SAMANA: 7:10 AM

SUNSET AT SAMANA: 6:33 PM

Today we rented a car from Fabian, one of Tim’s local connections and took off for Las Terrenas around the noon hour. One thing for sure, Monday is wash day here on the Samana Peninsula in the Dominican Republic. The evidence was strewn across roofs, hung over barbed wire fences and splayed over shrubs. The evident poverty doesn’t deter these lovely people from keeping clean. Many times in our day’s journey we saw folks toting buckets of water to their homes from a central spigot. Their abodes were often little more than a shack with the surroundings tidied and some were painted bright Caribbean colors.

SMALL, COLORFUL HOMES DOT THE LANDSCAPE

LAUNDRY DAY, FOR SURE

Motorcycles are a major mode of transportation here, being much cheaper to purchase as well as operate. They are used for both personal use and taxis. We have seen guys on them carrying sheets of plywood, ladders and tool so they are also used as a ‘work truck’ in these parts. Gas stations are few and far between so they have devised a system of front yard filling stations. You just stop at a roadside table, buy jug or a Presidente Beer bottle full of fuel then be on your way.

FUEL STOP FOR THE NUMEROUS MOTORCYCLES THAT ZIP BY

They also use horses quite a bit in the hilly area between the coasts of the Samana Peninsula. The colorful saddle blankets intrigued me but I haven’t been able to garner any information about them. The waterfalls in El Limon are accessible by both horses and by foot but since Dan’s knee has been bothering him we didn’t partake in this venture.

THE COLORFUL SADDLE BLANKET ARE LIKE A PIECE OF ARE WITH EACH ONE DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST

Driving across the mountain range between Samana and Las Terrenas we found coco plants laden with the ripening cocoa pods. These pods are filled with large seeds that are dried and fermented before being processed to make the much coveted chocolate. Each pot may contain between 20 to 50 beans and it requires about 400 beans to make a pound of chocolate.

RIPENING COCOA PODS ALONG THE ROADSIDE

After reaching Las Terrenas we stopped at the beach side restaurant, Mojito, for a lunch of goat and Cuban tapas as well a sampling of their mojitos. Excellent fare all around! The palm fringed beaches of the Las Terrenas area has a heavy European influence with its huge French population. After relaxing in the ocean breeze we found the super market and did a little provisioning before heading back to the Quest.



THE LAS TERRENAS BEACH AREA



02/05/2012 TRAGEDY STRIKES IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

02/05/2012 BACK TO PUERTO BAHIA MARINA AND SUPER BOWL SUNDAY


SUNDAY

11 NM

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

SUNRISE AT SAMANA: 7:11 AM

SUNSET AT SAMANA: 6:32 PM

“What’s a US Coast Guard helicopter doing out there in the Samana Bay?” observed Dan from our still-anchored Quest first thing this morning. Yes, indeed, why are they here? Our queries were answered when Adventure II that had already pulled up anchor and headed out into the bay for their return to Puerto Bahia gave call to the Coast Guard. Tragically, it seems that the “YOLA”, a boat filled with 70 illegal immigrants seeking refuge from the Dominican Republic in the US Territory of Puerto Rico, capsized and sank just before dawn on Saturday. The USCG had been assisting in the search and rescue mission since the request came through around mid-day. As our morning progressed and we too headed back to the marina, we were able to overhear radio transmissions that indicated the sighting of debris and two bodies to be recovered. With 13 rescued and 17 bodies as of this time the prospects are looking dim for finding any more survivors. What a tragedy and how desperate these poor people must be to risk their lives to escape in an ill-fitted, overcrowded little boat.  Remember to be thankful for all of our blessings!

THE USCG HELICOPTER SEARCHING THE BAY FOR SURVIVORS



THE DOMINICAN NAVY

USCG CUTTER TROLLING THROUGH THE CLOUD SHROUDED BAY

We were welcomed back to the lovely Puerto Bahia. I have to tell you that these folks really know about customer service and practice its finer point with every contact with their guests. Everyone, from the dock hands to the hotel desk clerks to the bar tenders and wait staff to the management, greets you with a warm Dominican greeting and a desire to meet all your needs. What a novel concept to make the customer happy!

A crowd of interested parties gathered at the Café del Mar for an evening of Super Bowl. They weren’t sure that they would be able to receive the game until the very last minute but finally got things worked out. The Northeast was well represented but those darn Patriots just couldn’t quite pull it off.