Just a quick note today.

We are checking out of Marina Puerto Bahia and plan on anchoring next to Cayo Leventado tonight, a little closer to the mouth of Bahia de Samana, DR. The winds and waves are supposed to be favourable for crossing the Mona Passage in the next couple of days so we are hoping to get an early morning start tomorrow and arrive in Puerto Rico around noon on Tuesday. That's the plan but we all know what happens to the best laid plans!

It seems most of the cruisers we have met in the last week or two are heading north. However Pat and Bridget (incorrect spelling previously) are heading south and have decided to take this weather window as well so our two boats will be travelling together.

Next blog hopefully from Puerto Rico (didn't I say that when we left TCI?)

We left Ocean World Marina (Puerto Plata) on Tuesday, March 25 at 1400 as planned after checking out with the authorities.

Casino at Ocean World Marina, DR.

Gardens at Ocean World.

For 1-1/2 hours we tried desperately to sail but to no avail, the wind was right on our nose at about 10 kts. We brought the sails in and motored. Shortly after dusk, the winds and waves picked up. We decided to head towards shore about 1-1/2 miles closer. The winds calmed to 10 kts again and the seas were more manageable. I am assuming we hit the katabatic winds (where the wind from the land gets under the trade winds). We had a wonderful motor sail for about 6 hours with the winds gradually building to 18 to 20 kts but coming from the south - a perfect beam reach! Yippee! Our boat speed averaged between 6.5 and 7 kts. Around 0300 the winds had decreased to 6 - 10 kts but picked up again between 0500 and 0600, this time the cape effect. Boy I wish I understood all this stuff better. We rounded Cabo Samana and once again the wind was on the nose but it was less than 10 kts. We had a wonderful trip in Bahia Samana arriving at Marina Puerto Bahia just after 1200 on March 26, 22 hours after leaving Ocean World, earlier than we had anticipated. We were tired but had a good trip.

Approaching Marina Puerto Bahia in Bahia Samana.

 

We arrived at the fuel dock, filled up and then took a slip. After lunch we wandered around the marina, had a swim in the pool and relaxed pool side. It didn't take long before we were talking with another couple at the pool who were, of course, fellow cruisers.

We had showers, supper and were in bed by 2100.

On Thursday, March 27 the marina staff drove us into Samana. We needed to change some money to pesos. Of course in the process of getting to town, we forgot to take our passports and the banks will not change money without them. Oh well, it was an excuse to hire a motoconcho. Back to the marina for the passports and then back to town. We successfully changed some dollars into pesos, wandered around town and then met Pat and Brigitte (the couple from the marina we met last night.) They had rented a car so we did some grocery/market shopping and then went back to the marina with them. We enjoyed happy hour in the main lobby of the marina with Pat and Brigitte and a couple off a trawler (former sailors) who had just arrived from Puerto Rico.

Our motoconcho.

Riding in the motoconcho.

Outdoor shoe store.

Upscale shopping plaza in front of Samana port.

Family transportation.

Narrow aisle in supermercado.

 

We met with Pat and Brigitte this morning (March 28). They still had their rental car so the four of us set off to Rincon. We missed the turn and ended up in Las Galeras. Got the scenic tour of that town before heading back down the road to Rincon. We found a beach side restaurant and had lunch. The water was a little too rough to do any swimming or snorkeling so we opted to drive along the beach before heading back to the marina.

 

Restaurant at Rincon Beach.

L - R: Pat, Brigitte, Jorge and Kim.

Outdoor sink.

Kim with Rincon Beach in background.

Horses for rent.

Rincon Beach.

Local fishing boat.

Bridge and driveway to villa in the mountain.

Of course there was happy hour in the marina lobby again with Pat and Brigitte, Mo and Pollie from the trawler and a Scottish couple from another trawler also joined us. Too much socializing and no time for blogging! Besides we can't get internet on the boat, we have to take the computer to the lobby.

We have arrived in the DR (Dominican Republic) not the PR (Puerto Rico).

Plan A was to leave South Side Marina at 0700 on Friday. We left closer to 0800, at low tide! Just outside the marina we touched bottom (sand luckily) a couple of times but Jorge was able to wiggle us free on all occasions. After about 45 minutes of dodging rocks and coral heads we were in the main channel of the Caicos Banks and on our way.

We motor sailed for only about an hour with the genoa and then the wind died. It was a perfect day for motoring as there was very little wind and the waves were less than 1'.

We arrived at the end of the banks by 1600 and entered into big water again, motoring another 4 hours to Big Sand Cay. We arrived and set anchor at 2000. The anchorage was free of rocks and coral heads so no problem! There were two other sailboats in the anchorage when we arrived. When we left the banks I was beginning to feel a bit queasy, more on that later.

Saturday I was really not feeling good. Maybe I lost my sea legs while in the marina for 2 weeks? The sailboats left towards the Turks in the morning but this was our buddy boat for the day.

Our buddy boat in Big Sand Cay, TCI.

Uninhabited Big Sand Cay.

Beaches at Big Sand Cay.

 

Jorge transferred fuel from the jerry cans to the tank and calculated how much fuel we had used running the engine at 2500 rpm to maintain 6 knots. The engine was not kind on the fuel consumption! PR was out of the question due to distance.

Plan B was to make a run to Samana, DR. 55+ hours giving us about 7 hours of diesel to spare. Jorge erred on the side of caution so . . .

Plan C - make a run to Ocean World Marina (Puerto Plata, DR). Besides I was sick all Saturday - not able to keep anything down. Do we leave Saturday night and arrive in daylight hours to the marina or leave in the morning and arrive at night? Since the wind was blowing 15+ kts in the anchorage and I was still not well we opted for leaving Sunday morning.

We left Big Sand Cay at 0600. The winds were 15 to 18 kts and the seas 4'. We motor sailed almost all morning - pinching. I was still sick. Not a good morning! By noon I was feeling much better. It must have been a 24/36 hour bug. The winds died and the seas calmed. It turned out to be a perfect afternoon and evening.

Sunset approaching Ocean World, DR.

Ditto.

 

We arrived at Ocean World Marina and tied up at the fuel dock at 2300. The entrance was well marked and we had no problem.

Yesterday morning we cleared customs, had showers, and enjoyed some cool drinks pool side. We met another cruising couple and their buddy from the DR. We took a taxi into town and had dinner at a local restaurant. Good time!

Seal show from outside the aquarium at Ocean World.

Kim at Ocean World Marina.

Villas in the mountains of the DR.

Pool side at Ocean World Terrace.

Ditto.

Our new Plan A was to leave Ocean World on Wednesday morning. Plan B is to leave this afternoon , the winds are more favourable. Weather, weather, weather!

Happy Spring Everyone!

We have been laying low the last couple of days. Last night we took part in the weekly potluck at Bob's Bar, it was well attended. A couple more transient boats have come in, for a day or so we were the only transient boat in the harbour!

After studying the weather (winds and waves) this morning, Jorge and I decided it was time to move on. We cleared Customs and Immigration this afternoon. We are thinking of going to Big Sand Cay and "staging", still part of the TCI but about a 10 - 12 hour trip, outside the Caico Banks, on the way to the DR. Plan A is to stay there Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night. The winds are supposed to be light starting Sunday for about three days. We have a very ambitious plan of travelling all three days, skipping the DR and heading straight to Puerto Rico. That means doing the Mona Passage, the next big hurdle of water! We have spent the entire day with our noses in the computers, books and charts - planning. Of course there is always Plan B, C, etc. CS'ta Time is ready, full of fuel, water and food, just not sure of the crew (me). This is a HUGE undertaking as we have never been at sea for this long a stretch.

TCI police boat.

The V-drive reassembled and back in the boat.

The helping hand at the fuel dock.

CS'ta Time at the fuel dock at South Side Marina, TCI.

South Side Marina from the fuel dock.

 

If Plan A is carried out, the next blog will be from Puerto Rico in about five days' time. Wish us luck!

What have we done in the last four days? Not much other than Jorge working on the V-drive, which I might add is successfully back in the boat! He just needs to do some "finishing" work on it. As for me, well it was the regular . . . laundry, dishes, meal preparation, groceries. Oh, I did start spring cleaning and started oiling the teak inside the boat.

We had a potluck dinner aboard a Lagoon 440 Saturday night with another Lagoon owner of a 400 (we are out numbered by catamarans here). Both guys were a wealth of knowledge to Jorge and physically helped out with the V-drive. Three heads were better than one!

The Lagoon owners (Ryan and Diana) of the 400 left Sunday morning for the Bahamas.

While the engine compartment was open yesterday (Monday) Jorge also changed the oil, it was due.

We got together with Donna and Kirk from the Lagoon 440 for dinner last night. Our marina owner drove us to the Tiki Hut at Turtle Cover (just the other side of the island, less than a 10 minute ride) where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and drinks. We caught a "jitney" back to the marina after dinner. Literally you just stand on the side of the road, a car drives by and honks the horn, you wave indicating yes you need a ride and they pick you up! We went to Donna and Kirk's boat once we were back at the marina where they gave us good tips on places to visit and places to avoid down south as they have just completed their tour of the south and are head home to the Annapolis area. They also gave us phones for different islands as well as guide books! It was sad to see them leave this morning for the Bahamas.

Jorge and Kim outside Tiki Hut, TCI.

L - R: Donna, Kirk, Kim.

The winds have been quite strong the last few days. The forecast is for them to diminish starting this afternoon. We are watching the gribs and Passage Weather very closely for our chance to leave. Providing Jorge gets his "finishing touches" completed today, we might be able to head for the DR as soon as tomorrow.

March 12, 2014

We were awake by 0730 listening to the local cruiser's network broadcast by our own marina owner, Bob. After breakfast, I started a good cleaning of the boat. We were expecting guests in the afternoon. Members from our yacht club, George and Gwen, have a daughter who was vacationing here in the Turks and Caicos with her family. We had called them a couple of days ago at their resort and arranged for an afternoon visit today. They arrived shortly after 1500 and we had a very enjoyable visit here at the marina.

L - R: Chris (Amanda's husband), Judy (Chris' mom), Amanda and me aboard CS'ta Time.

Outside the marina office.

Wednesday is potluck night here. There was a small number of cruisers and locals who attended (held at Bob's Bar). As it was his birthday yesterday, one of the regulars brought a birthday cake and as always, Bob supplied the ice cream. Great evening!

March 13, 2014

Jorge and I had arranged to rent a car for the day to tour the island. We got picked up at 0900, did the paperwork and then were on our way by 0930. Very interesting . . . driving on the left side of the road! Glad it was Jorge driving and not me. We toured the island of Providenciales (Provo). It is not a very large island and we had most of it done by early afternoon. There are no bridges connecting Provo to the other islands but there is a small ferry, taking people only, no cars.

We had lunch at a beachside resort, visited the Saltmills Shopping Plaza, Grace Bay, Blue Haven Marina and generally toured the countryside.

Our rental car, the white one (not sure why the picture is so big!).

Jorge outside Saltmills Plaza shopping centre.

Saltmills Plaza on both sides of the street.

 

The beachside resort we had lunch at.

 

The view outside from inside the restaurant.

The restaurant from the beach.

Grace Bay, part of the 12 miles of beaches.

Blue Haven Marina

 

A pelican catching his next meal.

 

We got back to the marina around 1600 and our V-drive parts had arrived. Hooray! Jorge inspected them and they seemed to be the correct ones. Hooray again!

We spent happy hour at the marina gazebo with two other cruising couples and whined (wined) away the evening discussing boat issues, island issues and cruising issues. Having complained for some five hours, we were all still in agreement that it was a good life. In general, it is what it is! Both couples are coming back from the south so we were able to pick up quite a few good points.

March 14, 2014

Jorge returned the car by 0900 this morning. The rest of the day was spent working on the V-drive. It was giving him a bit of grief but one of the other cruisers had the exact tool Jorge needed for part of the job and after that things went smoother. Half way done. Hopefully tomorrow he will complete the job and we can be on our merry way with the next weather window.

Jorge studying the problem.

Patio table under the gazebo converted to a workshop.

March 10, 2014

Okay so I am catching up on my ZZZZ's, didn't get up until almost 0900 again! Jorge was up earlier, around 0700, and had researched what we needed to order for the V-drive. There was an invoice in the maintenance log of CS'ta Time indicating that the bearings had been replaced previously so that helped Jorge out.

After breakfast he emailed the bearing company in the states and ordered the parts. He also called them and confirmed the order, giving the visa # over the phone. Three days for delivery. I did some boat cleaning.

We went into town with Bob (marina owner), had lunch at the cafe next door to the IGA, and then did a bit of browsing in the grocery store. If we thought the prices in the Bahamas were expensive, get this . . . $67.00 for 24 Heineken cans. GULP!

After lunch on the outdoor patio outside the cafe.

Plaza parking lot outside IGA.

 

After arriving back at the marina, Jorge investigated some autopilot problems. When we got into Sapodilla Bay (Turks and Caicos) it started malfunctioning. Jorge has jinxed us. Just a couple of days ago he said he was so pleased we had not been plagued with any problems. We've had two since then, the bearings on the V-drive and the autopilot. Unfortunately it does not seem the autopilot is going to be an easy fix. The "brains" seem to be gone. The system is only correcting to one side. When Jorge reverses the wires, the system corrects to that side. Hmmmm. Of course to look at the problem, well, you know what that meant. Yep, we had to rip the boat apart!

During this time, we received an email from the bearing company saying our visa was denied! By the time we emailed the company back, got no answer, and then phoned them, their office was closed. Something to deal with tomorrow morning.

After putting things back in place after working on the autopilot, we had supper and were in bed shortly after 2100.

March 11, 2014

We were up shortly after 0800 this morning. Jorge was immediately onto the bearing company. This time when they tried the visa # it worked! Did they enter the wrong number the first time? Who knows but it cost us a day because of course they wouldn't send the parts out before they got payment. That also means we could be delayed if a weather window opens up. To keep our blood pressure down, we have to remember . . . it is what it is.

We again went into town with Bob today. Lunch at the cafe yesterday was so good we decided to do it again. I also picked up a small cake as it was Bob's birthday today.

A couple on a catamaran two slips down offered to take us to town in the afternoon as they had rented a car. We went with them to a liquor store, a hardware store and then to the grocery store. On the way back to the marina we went for a little toot to see some mansions they had checked out the day before.

Jorge playing bocce ball.

 

We had happy hour at Bob's Bar to celebrate his birthday. I put a candle in the cake and the patrons all sang happy birthday to him. I think he was pleasantly surprised.

Bob's Bar, an outdoor one of course.

The birthday cake.

The birthday boy cutting his cake.

We had a late supper after being at the bar. In bed by 2200.