Friday 8th February Boca Chica Dominican Republic

On Monday I decided I should find immigration since I had no entry stamp in my passport, and was told to go to the Coast Guard station, it’s not far just to the point (about 3miles) The commandant called immigration and after about an hour told me to come back at midday. After walking back and returning the immigration officer turned up on a motor bike and took me (after confirming I did not have a stamp) to the commercial docks, about 5miles in the opposite direction, where I finally became a legal alien.

Sunset over Las Salinas

Main Street

Bottle Garden

On Tuesday after a walk around town I returned to the boat when the wind picked up blowing 20-30 gusting 38knots, when the anchor started dragging, I spent about two hours re-anchoring only to be dragged across the bay again, finally it held with 60metres of chain out in 4m of water. I decided to leave on Thursday morning at 8am, so went down to the Coast Guard station on Wednesday afternoon, where the necessary form was filled in, whereupon the commandant closed the ledger and said I must return on Thursday morning at 8am!

Having collected the despacho, stowed the dingy on deck I finally raised the anchor at 9am and left in light airs, mostly there was enough to sail although I did have to tack some, the winds and seas were not nearly as bad as last time, the leg of 72 Nautical miles by direct route took nearly a day and a half tying up in the marina at 2pm having covered just short of 100Nm and using the engine for 10hours

Passing Santa Domingo at daybreak

Small fishing boat near Boca Chica

Sunday 3rd February 2013 Las Salinas Dominican Republic

We are here at last. We left Monte Cristi at the reasonable hour of 9am, after the anchor chain jammed on the gipsy, raising the main and jib in a light breeze on the aft port quarter, but being able to stop the engine every now and again until about 3am on Wednesday 23^rd when enough wind picked up to allow 2-5knots. During that first pleasant days sailing there were allot of flying fish about, I even saw a mahi-mahi chasing them, a massive turtle surfaced briefly, but nothing on my lures! 

Sunset over Haiti

We entered the windward passage, between Haiti and Cuba, the evening of Wednesday 23^rd sailing with only the odd time having to resort to the motor, and quite a bit of shipping, though not close. We rounded the Southern tip of Haiti at dawn on Friday 25^th having had a good sail down, into a South East wind (that’s the way we want to go) so headed off on a tack to the SSW as  being the closest to the wind we could sail. On Saturday 26^th something stole my lures, I did not put out any more as the swell and general comfort onboard did not allow it. From here on the wind was blowing from NE to SE at 20-30 knots with gusts even worse and swell from 1-2m close into shore to 2-4m offshore and various cross swells. At about midday on Monday 28^th I decided to reef down and took in two reefs on the main, but the jib refused to cooperate, tangling the sheets, pulling loose part of the starboard jib track and tearing part of the bolt rope, leaving me the only option of pulling it down, however the halyard had frayed at the masthead, however after a struggle I succeded and stuffed it into the fore hatch at last, I raised a storm sail on the inner stay, reducing our progress from 3-6knots to around 2knots. On Tuesday 29^th I found my last loaf of bread was mouldy, I had a couple of disheartened lethargic after that.

Just after sunrise on the Thursday 31^st January the wind died just after tacking out to sea again, so after starting the engine I went to work in the calm, re-bolting the jib track, raising a new jib halyard patching the and re-raising jib and stowing the storm jib. The wind picked up again and off we went at 3-6knots again. On Saturday 2^nd Feb the wind came round to the NE allowing me to ease the sheets, taking the wind more on the Starboard side and increasing our speed to over 7knots at times, it started to look possible we could get in just after sundown, this was not to be, in the event it was dark (the moon had no risen) when we rounded the entrance to Las Salinas, so creeping in slowly we anchored near where we wanted to be, made a cup of tea and something to eat and went to bed. Oh yes it looks like at least one of my water tanks has burst, most if not all the lockers have had water get into them and one of the pulleys on the furling rope has broken free; the distance from Monte Cristi to Las Salinas by planned route was about 560 nautical miles, we covered nearly 920 nautical miles in 11½ days, averaging 3.3knots and running the engine for 25½ hours.

Las Salinas at last

Mountains North of Las Salinas

Sunday 3^rd being a pleasant fairly still day I decided to start fixing and tidying, having just opened the hatch to the water tanks and found it full of brackish water the Coast guard turned up! Not armed this time, but sandy boots and no English, he took the despacho from Monte Cristi and told me when I was ready to leave to go to the office for the despacho to move on, then he and his drug enforcement mate started to look around looking into cupboards and lockers, then asked where was my drink, I explained being alone I do not have drink aboard, so after asking for a backhander they left, allowing me to continue my clean-up and repair. I think I have fixed everything at deck level and started cleaning the galley and saloon, emptied all the free water out of the water tank area, so will see if either tank continues leaking water.

At anchor off Las Salinas

Main Street Las Salinas

Working the Salt Pans

Saturday 19th Monte Christi Dominican Republic

Thursday 17^th Cockburn Grand Turk

Well I have had a relaxing time here, except for the odd time at night in gusty winds worried about the anchor dragging. The town of Cockburn is sprawled over a large area with allot of building going on and abandoned, most unused land is covered with a thorn scrub with a number of wild ponies and donkeys wandering about. Swimming around the boat in the crystal clear water is lovely, with lots of fish about, I went over to a buoy about 100m away (used by dive boats) and found the wall, it drops off from 5m to 255m!

Cockburn at sunset

Cockburn town

Coral Head nead anchorage

Turks Head Cactus possible that islands named after it

View of Cockburn from 'highlands'

Saturday 19^th Monte Christi Dominican Republic

 

Having checked the forecast I signed out of Grand Turk on Thursday 17^th and lifted the anchor on Friday morning at first light, expecting to take about 30hours in winds of 10 to 15 knots; in fact once I got out the winds were blowing 15 to 20 gusting 25, so we arrived at the entrance to the bay of Monte Christi in 19 hours anchoring at 2am (averaging a little over 5knots) fortunately the bay is open and depth is a useful 4-6m well in. Having set the anchor, stowed the sails and raised the Dominican Republic’s flag and yellow flag for clearance, I went to sleep. On waking I had breakfast and washed and shaved, then inflated the dingy and was about to mount the engine when I saw a boat approaching with one guy in uniform and another with an AK47 since I was half expecting a visit from the powers that be I was not worried and sure enough they were from the Marina de Guerre (Coast Guard) and Drug Enforcement, having got the necessary form filled and my wallet lightened they went on their way and I fitted the dingy engine and went ashore in search of Customs and Immigration. I was met at the Sports Fishing Club dock by a useful guy who after tying the dingy up, took me on his scooter to his house where he called immigration and a friend to interpret, I did not need to get clearance from immigration as long as I had my passport with me at all times; he then took me to the local supermarket, returning to his house where his sister showed me where I could get wifi, and back to the dingy. On board the wind picked up in the afternoon, so redid the connection for the bow navigation lights, hopefully they will work now.

At Anchor off Monte Christi

Coming ashore

Sunday 13th January 2013 Cockburn Grand Turk

I raised the anchor at 6am (still dark) to make use of the last of the outgoing tide, in good hopes of a favourable weather window, soon dispelled when no wind appeared, I raised the main and had the jib unfurled to catch what little there was, but was soon being forced North by the Gulf Stream heralded by a large sea turtle;

Large turtle, I thought it was a whales back

Ploughing to windward

 and coupled with that the cargo ships and tugs were getting ever closer the closest passing us at ½ mile! We managed to find enough wind to sail by midnight but had to restart the engine on Friday afternoon, only managing intermittent sailing until midnight on Tuesday 8^th after which we sailed until reaching Grand Turk this morning at 11am. So of the 10 days and 5hours of the journey we were under motor about 74 hours. 

The worst was that the winds were South East (our route) most of the time, forcing us to tack, which we did twice, adding about 240Nmto the trip; most of which was spent alone in our bit of water, with the odd freighter or cruise liner on the horizon, two flying fish landed on deck, too small to eat, and nothing was kind enough to attach itself to my fishing lines. Since we were head on to the swell most of the time, the constant drowning of the bow light connector finally flooded and tripped out, leaving no navigation lights, if I saw a ship I put on my anchor light, to have some lights showing, but no one contacted me.

Anchored off Cockburn Grand Turk

Nearing Grand Turk I tried to contact the harbourmaster at the South Base, with no luck, a local answered my call and went personally to the docks to arrange for someone to meet me for clearance, and directed me to the anchorage off the town dock at Cockburn, so having got the hook down in lovely clear water at 26°C (79°F) I inflated the dingy, had a quick wash and went ashore when no one had come by 4pm I returned to the boat and wrote this, I will get a taxi to South Base in the morning and see what happens.

Monday 14^th got a taxi to the docks to customs, who sent me to another building about 200 yards away, which turned out to be a large empty shed with a small office at its far end housing both customs and immigration for sailboats. Having cleared in a stamp could not be put in my passport as the officer was off on compassionate leave, so was advised to go to the airport (about a mile away on the road back to Cockburn) walking there I found the necessary person was not available and was given vague directions to ‘a pink building called 3 Degrees down the road’ about a mile and a half later I found it and without too much hassle got the necessary stamp; having by now walked nearly the whole way back to Cockburn I completed the  distance on foot, 

Pony havind a bath

Old Salt Pans

finding the town now crawling with tourists as two cruise liners had arrived. I located a cafe that offered wifi and returned to the boat, and as I was preparing to go for a swim, a police boat pulled alongside as I was flying my yellow practique flag, having explained I had just cleared, he had to come aboard to check and fill in the inevitable form and have a look around. After a pleasant swim I did some chores including an oil change, repairing a jib sheet pulley and sealing the bow light plug, and so to bed.