Author: BettyChurch

March 10

We enjoyed our stay at Culebra, PR and from there moved over to Culebrita to dive/snorkel. Moved to a quiet anchorage for the night and tucked in with the turtle that welcomed us.

The next day we aborted our plan to dive as the water was too rough at the dive site so on to US Virgin Islands.

It only took a couple hours to get to St Thomas where we anchored outside the main harbor. At least until we almost got run over by a ferry boat. They cut it close enough and fast enough that the wake put our boat over on a 45 degree angle. Things that were not nailed down went flying inside the boat. Not a pleasant experience. So at 5:30 in the evening we upped anchor and moved to a pretty anchorage we had passd on the way in by the airport. Actually not BY the airport but at the end of the runway and off to the side. Seems like it should have been noisy but in reality the airport isn’t a busy one and the planes didn’t go over the boat so it really wasn’t a big issue.  The real upside was that we literally had a reef at the back of the boat so could dive from the LaaDeeDah instead of the dinghy.

So after an early morning dive we dinghyed into the big harbor and hit up the local dive shop where Gary got a new bc as his was acting up, had lunch, and stopped at the local market. We had been told the day before to stop at customs and immigration to check out so we could move on to British Virgin Islands the next day. Once we actually got to the office they said “Oh no. We have an agreement with BVI and you just need to check in with them.” Like everywhere, ask three different people a customs/immigration question,  get three different answers!

St Thomas is a bustling island with anything you could want. Really big cruise ships come into the harbor and offload passengers for day excursions and shopping. The interesting thing we noted was the prices for things were very reasonable. A 10 minute cab ride cost $4 a piece instead of $40-50 as in the Bahamas. Groceries were also more in relation to what you would spend in the states.

We decided to skip St John’s and go directly to BVI. Just west of St John’s is a really cool island called Little St. James Island. It stood out because buildings weren’t missing and construction had obviously been completed. A google search revealed it’s privately owned by American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Wikipedia. Seriously, that’s what it said.

March 9, 2019

Culebra is a pretty island of about 2000 permanent residents. The only town is Dewey as in “Admiral”. We anchored in the protected harbor and have been using the dinghy to get around to snorkeling/dive sites and the Dinghy Dock for lunch. It’s been a nice change from the country club vibe of Palmas Del Mar.

From the harbor there is a little cut thru under a lift bridge that doesn’t lift anymore that takes you to the commercial dock and the fast ferry to the big island. On the outside you’re greeted by Hector the Protector. Quite a sight.

Tomorrow we move on to another anchorage at Culebrita for more/better diving. Starting to get back into it although diving from a dinghy is a lot more work than when we used to do the live aboard dive trips. Still, it’s fun and there seem to be lots of day moorings we can hook the dinghy up to while we’re in the water.

 

 

 

Before we left Palmas Del Mar we got some golf in on a pretty oceanside course called the Palms. We decided to rename it the Iguana course because of all the iguanas everywhere. They like to burrow into the sand and especially like the forward tee boxes that don’t get used as much. I got the side-eye from a couple of them that thought I was getting a little too close.

February 20, 2019

We took a few days and worked our way around the south side of Puerto Rico and then up the east coast to the Yacht Club at Palmas Del Mar. The anchorages we chose were peaceful and calm and every time we were the only boat there. The second one, Cayo Puerca was surrounded by mangroves so I took the kayak down and paddled around one morning. Lots of birds and something big in the water that kept swimming away from me (probably a manatee) but I never got a good look as the water was a bit murky. I’ve definitely been spoiled by the beautiful water in the Bahamas and now anything less than crystal clear, turquoise water just doesn’t look inviting.

This is a pretty yacht club that is well protected and will be my home for the next two weeks. I say mine as Gary is flying back to Virginia tomorrow for a week or two.

I have a pool, small but nice view of the harbor and the crashing waves, lots of restaurants within walking distance for lunch breaks, and a gated marina with 24/7 security. All in all, Isabella and I will be fine on our own. I may even get that pesky “to-do” list completely taken care of.

We’ve also had a car the last few days and it’s quite easy to get around so if I start going crazy I can always rent a car for the day and go shopping or sight seeing.

Puerto Rico is still suffering the after effects of Hurricane Irma even in the coastal tourist areas. Lots of houses are missing tile roofs and several of the surrounding houses and condos need major work.

The main roads are not bad and there are no motor scooters here so driving is a lot less hectic than it was in DR. But there are a LOT of cars. Like the US it is a very mobile island. Without a car it’s not that easy to get around. Good thing there is a car rental place just outside the marina gates.

The weather is starting to kick up a bit so we’re expecting the marina to start filling up. At the moment it’s only about ⅓ full. There are condos surrounding the marina and they all have private slips so it looks much bigger than it really is.

No more updates until we get back underway again. Next stop will be a small island with good diving to get us back into the swing of it.

February 15, 2019

We finally found a three day weather window, not perfect but doable and left Oceanworld Marina near Puerto Plata on the 13th at 5pm. The idea is that the winds coming down off the mountains in the evening help flatten the seas but the jury is still out as to whether it made any difference at all. We probably would have been better to leave at about 10pm but we needed to clear the marina by 6 at the latest and the dockworkers leave at 5.

Friends we met during our stay at the Marina came to see us off as we were taking on diesel in the afternoon. Secretly they all thought we were crazy but wished us well and we’ve all promised to see each other again down the line. We checked out with the local officials who didn’t want to leave the boat until we offered them beers. Then of course they came back right before we left with an additional “fee” that we needed to pay. As they left the boat they could be seen divvying up the “fee” between the three of them but at least we could leave. The DR, unlike The Bahamas, is very regimented. You can’t just pull in and anchor anywhere. No matter where you stop, you WILL be met by the Navy and others to make sure you have proper paperwork and pay all necessary, and even some unnecessary, fees.

After being under way for several hours we thought our new friends might just be right. We were facing 5-6′ swells and the wind picked up and things got a little hectic. It’s one thing to be in waves when you can see them coming, a totally different animal when it’s dark and you can’t anticipate where they are coming from or when the front of the boat will be lifted into the air and slammed back down again. At one point I woke up and thought I was inside a washing machine. Not a great feeling but a good test of the stuegeron that we purchased in DR.

Gary and I took turns at the helm all during the night with 2-3 hour shifts and caught sleep where we could. Even tho we’d taken care to put away items that could fall or move inside the boat we still had to respond to several “crashes” during the night. Things that have never moved an inch were tossed on the floor. Nothing broken and the flying coffee maker missed Isabella so everything turned out okay.

After 14 hours we pulled into an anchorage in Samana Bay for a 4 hour break to rest and put everything back together. Of course as soon as we anchored we were visited by the local Navy representative with a customs & immigration fellow and a “barely able to understand English” interpreter. I think they were disappointed to discover we had the appropriate paperwork and were only staying for a couple hours.

By 11am we were on our way again on a circuitous route to Puerto Rico that would take 19 more hours. Samana Bay is a humpback whale preserve and whale watching is a very big thing from Jan 1 thru March 15th. As we left we could see the boats in the distance just floating with whales near them. For almost an hour we were treated to whales popping up in front of us, sending water in the air from their blowholes. One actually breached and another flipped his tail at us. A really nice window in an otherwise long and hard slog.

A couple observations about traveling at night.

– I thought the blackness of the night would bother me as I’m pretty claustrophobic, but that wasn’t the case. We had a half moon and brilliant stars for ambiance. We turned on the outside lights as well as our navigation lights so we were pretty lit up but being up on the flybridge you really didn’t see it. We just wanted to make sure anyone else out there saw us.

-Traveling at night means you miss the scenery. I know we passed some major towns as well as beautiful mountainous areas but all I could see were occasional lights. It reminded me of traveling through the Alps years ago on a sleeper train car. We got where we were going but missed the view!

-The only thing quiet about a night crossing on a trawler is the radio. Between the engines, crashing waves and things crashing inside the boat it gets noisy. The radio on the other hand, is eerily quiet. We only saw two other vessels over a two night period. Both of them were big freighters and no one was chatty.

-At our ages, getting 2-3 hours of sleep at a time really wears us down. I had a headache for most of the trip. We’re taking a day today just to relax, nap and generally recuperate.

I think in future unless we can’t avoid it (long crossing) we’ll travel during the day. After all, we’re retired and shouldn’t have to hurry to get anywhere!

We’ll spend the next few days traveling the south coast of Puerto Rico and make our way to the Yacht Club at Palmas del Mar where we’ll be docked for a couple weeks while Gary flies home for medical appointments and to visit. I’ll stay on the boat with Isabella as someone has to feed and care for the princess! I’ll see everyone at home on our next trip back.

We initially thought we’d bypass the DR but with weather being what it is decided to layover at least once in a marina. Once here Mother Nature has again played her games and we are in for 10-14 days before we can cross to Puerto Rico.

Never having been here before we really didn’t know what to expect. Wow have we been surprised. After The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos the hills, mountains and just general lushness of the island are a welcome change. Although it’s a poor country the cities and marinas have a concentration of wealth. We’re sitting in a marina at Oceanworld surrounded by several resorts so you can get most anything you need. The US dollar is accepted although you may not get a favorable exchange rate for change.

The second day here we decided to hire a driver to take us in to Santiago. It’s a city of contrasts much like you would find anywhere. Parts of the city are clean, prosperous and really pretty, while other parts are unsafe and we steered clear. It boasts the oldest church in the Americas and Columbus is everywhere (or as they refer to him Columbo). We toured the city, had a nice lunch, visited a huge hardware store (remember the three stops we always make) and then returned to the boat. We were happy to have a local driver as the main road is under construction and once in the city we would have easily gotten lost.

The next day we took a rental car and drove to Puerto Plata, a much smaller town looking for a grocery store, pharmacy and cigar store. You don’t need prescriptions to get medication in the DR. Just go to the local pharmacy and ask for what you need. They also have an extensive stock of generic medications. I was looking for something to replace the Dramamine I’ve been taking that makes me so sleepy. Stugeron was recommended by several cruisers so I’m giving that a try.

Cigars are made here in DR and they are very good. Gary was able to replenish his supply and we even got a lesson in how cigars are made and where the different tobaccos they use come from.

We also managed to find a German butcher shop where I stocked up on beef, smoked ham and bacon. The island has a large agricultural vibe but they are also very industrial. If you need something fabricated or repaired chances are you can get it done here and for a reasonable price. After the Bahamas where everything is overpriced it was a pleasant surprise to buy pounds of beef filet and other meats all for $64!

There are motor scooters here everywhere. For every car there are at least 15-20 scooters. They are used as a mini taxi service as cabs are very sparse and very expensive. Not sure we’re brave enough to try them out but they sure make driving a rental car adventurous. Gary was in his racing element and I held on and closed my eyes for the most part.

It looks like the weather will calm down in a day or two. We will depart our marina about 5:3opm Wednesday and do an overnight cruise, anchor out for the day and grab a few hours sleep and then do it again overnight to Puerto Rico. Traveling at night is supposed to be calmer so we shall see.

Meantime we will  visit our favorite restaurant once last time, say goodbye to friends we’ve made and gas up before heading out.

February 6, 2019

We traveled from Turks and Caicos to The Dominican Republic yesterday. A beautiful 9 hour crossing with calm seas. If every crossing was that easy everyone would have a boat!

Each country we enter and leave gives us an opportunity to visit with customs and immigration. The Bahamas was easy. Visit the dockside office at Bimini, fill out the appropriate paperwork, pay $300 for a cruising permit (that includes a fishing permit for the boat) and you’re good for six months. When we left the country we turned in our paperwork at our last marina stop and we’re done. Last winter we mailed the paperwork back to them when we reached the US mainland with no problem.

Turks and Caicos seems to make it up as they go. We checked in at Turtle Cove Marina. Again, fill out the paperwork, pay $50 and you’re good for seven days. If you want to stay longer than that it costs $300 for a cruising permit but we didn’t think we would stay more than a week. When we left we checked out at South Caicos where they seemed surprised that we had moved around during the week from the original marina. Really? It’s a boat. It moves. That’s the point of having a boat. Anyway we paid our exit fee of $50 and had 24 hours to vacate the country. So we overnighted at Sand Cay and were on our way bright and early the next day.

Dominican Republic is a different animal. When we arrived at the marina the dock guys helped tie off the boat and then told us the procedures. We were to wait on the boat for customs and immigration to come to us. Sure enough, within 30 minutes four guys were at our boat. They came onboard and we filled out the necessary paperwork. They did a cursory inspection of the boat, petted Isabella, asked about firearms (no) and then Gary accompanied them back to the marina office where he paid $100 ($75 for the boat and $12.50 per person) and we’re good until we move to the next marina. Each move within DR requires a despacho which will be asked for at the next stop. When we check out of the country we will be boarded with drug sniffing dogs because we’re traveling to Puerto Rico and the US had made that a requirement for anyone coming from DR. I’m sure Isabella is really going to enjoy that!

A bit about Turks and Caicos. We had been there before about 10 years ago and rented a beach house on Providenciales so we were somewhat familiar with the area. The people are very friendly, English is the language and they use US currency. That makes it very easy to get around. We found that they are not necessarily a cruiser friendly country tho. There are only a handful of marinas. and most of the anchorages are not well protected. We spent the first two nights at Turtle Cove Marina and then moved to Sopadilla Bay on the south side looking for some good diving/snorkeling. Unfortunately the anchorage was very rolly and the water was cloudy. We were out of there the next morning. We then happened upon a beautiful anchorage at a very small cay called Six Hills Cay. There was probably enough room for 5-6 boats but we were the only ones there. The water was pristine and we had a very nice snorkeling area about 100 yards from the boat. A little slice of heaven.

From there we moved to South Caicos to check out with a very rolly overnight in the harbor and on to Sand Cay for another beautiful anchorage. We did manage to see a green flash at sunset so maybe that made up for the rolly movement of the boat…uh no. At Sand Cay we anchored within 100 yards of the beach and as the wind and therefore the boat turned we ended up even closer. It was a little intimidating to look at but having snorkeled earlier in the day to the beach we knew that the water was deep to within 10 feet of the beach. Even with confidence in our anchoring skills Gary didn’t sleep very deeply that night.

So now we’re at Oceanworld in the DR once again waiting for the weather to cooperate. It’s kind of a catch 22. The weather is more favorable in the summer for cruising but our insurance says we can’t be here because of hurricane season. So we travel in the winter months when weather is more volatile. Oh well.

Now that we’ve been on board for almost 18 months I thought it time to look back on how it’s going; what we expected versus reality.

First we love the boat and haven’t seen another comparable boat that we’d rather have. Everything that was an issue when we bought Laa-Dee-Dah has been fixed and we’ve managed to add equipment that makes our lives easier and safer. Things like a new AC chiller, an air compressor for our dive tanks, a forward looking sonar to see what’s in front of us under the water, a forward looking infrared radar for those pesky night crossings and a single side band radio for communication further down in the Caribbean. We also doubled our water making capacity from 30 to 60 gallons per hour.

I had visions of being able to swim every day. That hasn’t happened so much. If we’re anchored out somewhere and there isn’t too much current it’s fine but you definitely don’t want to swim in a marina. I now have a kayak and that is fun but again the wind and current can be a factor as to whether it goes in the water or not.

Things still break on the boat from time to time but not at the rate it was happening. Careful maintenance has helped. It is a challenge to get parts sometimes and Gary is really good at repairing rather than replacing when possible as an interim. We also have a short list of excellent people we can call for advice at any time. At the moment we’re nursing the starboard engine blower with an additional fan and careful watch of the undersized circuit breaker while underway. Popular opinion is that we may have a fan bearing issue, but we won’t have access to a replacement until we reach Puerto Rico.

Provisioning is easier. We’ve gotten into a rhythm and there are more and larger markets in central and south Bahamas than north Bahamas. As you go south the focus is more agricultural rather than fishing. Our next big stops are Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico which all have very good grocery stores.

Our Amazon Prime account has gone dormant. They don’t necessarily ship to The Bahamas and customs is a nightmare so we rely on friends that visit to bring things that we’ve ordered and had shipped to them. We are also stockpiling things in Maryland for a pickup in February when Gary visits as well as shipping items to the marina in Puerto Rico for when we arrive in late February.

We’re staying in marinas more than anticipated due to weather and a break in the routine of being “off-the-grid” wanting to find restaurants and people. I don’t know if this will continue, we’ll see.  I do know that after 4-5 days of being anchored out and eating all meals on board a restaurant is very appealing. Some anchorages aren’t near towns with restaurants and markets so we have to plan accordingly.

Customs and Immigration has been a challenge but that was expected. Every country has slightly different rules. Gary has learned to lie convincingly about not having pets on board and Isabella doesn’t take it personally. Otherwise we would have to take her to a vet every time we left a country to gets forms filled out for the next country. Expensive and at 20 years old not something we want to put Isabella thru. Suffice it to say, she has all her shots, is micro-chipped and has all background paperwork necessary if we are ever boarded by customs or immigration.

We’ve learned to pay much more attention to wind and waves when transiting. Not just direction but wave height as well as seconds between waves. Gary has done a most excellent job at this. We’ve had a few trying days being thrown around but nothing that was scary or dangerous, just uncomfortable.

One of our biggest challenges has been communications. Our Direct TV satellite antenna decided to fail towards the south of The Bahamas and we decided to just do without as the coverage area ended with The Bahamas anyway. We can always stream Apple TV but that requires a good cell connection or Wi-Fi, something that is transient in The Bahamas. Gary has switched over to Google Fi for his phone service with good success. The only hitch is that after 15 MB of data the download is significantly slower but otherwise decent for text and email and unlimited. We will switch mine over from AT&T in the next month which will give us another 15 MB of data so that should help. We are watching a LOT less TV and instead playing games in the evening as well as reading.

We seem to run into minor challenges constantly along the way. Things like not having detailed mapping on the Garmin at the flybridge station as we’re coming into Turks and Caicos. Once we got here we updated the maps and everything is fine. The maps at the main helm were up to date so we used that station. Likewise I am downloading additional maps to my iPad while sitting in the marina here at T&C. This is the first stop in over a month where we can get good wifi and we are maximizing it! We actually saw the evening news with Lester Holt last night for the first time in weeks.

The bottom line is that if you want to retire and just sit back with your feet up don’t get a boat. Especially don’t think about living and traveling on a boat. Every day sees us discussing what the next stops will be, checking weather, deciding to anchor out or pick up a marina. What are the document requirements of the next country (after The Bahamas they come up fast)? Where is the next available provisioning stop? If we’re anchored out do the batteries need to be charged? If we’re underway do we need to turn on the water maker and fill the tank? Add to that the near constant cleaning both inside and outside and there really isn’t much down time. Once in awhile either or both of us will declare a “veg” day and do nothing more taxing than napping and reading all day long. It’s a luxury we don’t often get.

Do we have regrets? Other than Gary wishing we had a full time engineer on board, no. (He’s insisted that a fast car at home would be nice too). It’s a good boat and an interesting lifestyle. We’re adapting and we’re definitely not bored.

 

 

 

January 30-

We had to lay over a day at Atwood Bay on Crooked Cay where we were lucky enough to watch a local fisherman harvest two large spiney lobsters. Since we were on the back of our boat watching he came to our boat first to offer them for sale. For $20 we got two 2 lb lobsters. A deal! So surf and turf was the menu that night. We then spent two nights again at Abrahms Bay, Mayaguana waiting for the seas to calm but this morning we said goodbye to The Bahamas and had a beautiful, calm day motoring down to Providenciales, Turks &Caicos. We’re at Turtle Cove Marina for two nights to clear customs and immigration and get provisions and then we’ll cruise around and hopefully get some diving in.

T&C only lets you stay 7 days on a cruisers permit unless we want to spend $300 to stay longer. We’re meeting friends in the Dominician Republic so 7 days sounds about right.

Getting into this marina was a new and different challenge as it is inside a reef system. We had to ride the waves in thru a notch on the reef behind a pilot boat. The pictures don’t do it justice.

January 31st

Just got back from the best supermarket I’ve seen since leaving the states. We will be eating well for the next week or two!

Sadly we left Staniel Cay on the 15th (sad because it’s my favorite place so far), and moved down the island chain a bit to Cave Cay for an overnight anchorage. Next day we arrived at The Marina at Emerald Bay just south of Georgetown on Great Iguana Cay. We tucked in to the marina because south of here all you will find is the “out islands” before crossing to Turks and Caicos. There was a storm forecast with high winds and we decided we wanted to be somewhere protected and here we are. And here we stay as now the seas are rather more challenging than we would like. We’re looking for a weather window that will allow us to get to T&C which is about a four day adventure, anchoring each night. Maybe later in the week or even next week.

When we arrived at the marina we couldn’t figure out why there were almost no boats here. In a marina that can handle 133 boats there were perhaps 6. Our info had correctly stated that although this was at one time a top marina it had fallen quite far. Although the marina boasted electric and pump out facilities at each slip we found that most of the marina didn’t have electric and the pump out doesn’t work. But hey, we have a generator and pumpout in the Bahamas is more of an advertisement than a reality most anywhere. The staff more than makes up for the lack of upkeep tho with their helpful and friendly attitudes.

After a day or two here we noticed the marina started filling up. At this point it is mostly full with boats waiting for the seas to calm just like we are. It’s become a community and everyone is socializing and having drinks and making the best of being here.

There’s a top notch golf course next door. In fact, there was a PGA tournament happening the day we arrived. Gary decided to check out the action on the 17th hole on the last day and our granddaughter caught him on tv!

There’s also a Sandals Resort next door and for a price we can spend the day at the pool and eat to our hearts content. We’re not that bored yet. There’s also Grand Isle Resort a 10 minute walk away that has beaches and a nice restaurant that is available. The menu is big enough and varied enough that we haven’t run out of things to eat even tho we’re there at least every other day for a meal.

We’re 30 minutes from Georgetown so rented a car one day and made a run to the grocery store, hardware store and boat store. Seems like we make these same stops at any large town.

The lunar eclipse last night was spectacular! With a storm earlier in the evening we were worried that visibility would be nonexistent but the sky cleared and it was impressive.

If you’re not a golfer skip this paragraph- There doesn’t seem to be much demand for the golf course so I’m not sure how they keep it so pristine. Maybe it’s  because the tournament just occurred. The front nine is between palm trees and mangrove clusters. The back nine for the most part is along the coast with all the challenges that brings. I managed to only lose 3 balls the first day. They don’t need to worry about marking any out of bounds areas. If you go too far off the course there is no retrieving the ball even if you do happen to see it. We managed to play twice. Once before the big winds and once as they were calming down. In between we took 4 clubs each and a handful of golf balls and played the 17th hole-downwind- over and over. I call it groundhog golf becuse of the movie. We got really long drives but the walk back up the hole against the wind was challenging.

We have noticed a lot of sharks on this passage. Nothing to worry about but can be a bit intimidating. The gentleman next to us was cleaning the bottom of his boat the other day and looked over to see a “buddy” watching him. The buddy was bigger than he was but just wanted to see what was going on. And that seems to be the extent of interest. They just want to know what is happening or are waiting for food to be thrown overboard.

January 10th.

We have truly found paradise in The Bahamas. Staniel Cay is all that they say it is. A little bit of tourist, a little bit of really nice restaurants, a little bit of grocery stores and a whole lot of pristine, clear water surrounded by mostly deserted islands.

We arrived on the 8th and only intended to stay for a couple days. There is a windstorm coming in from the east this weekend and we need to be somewhere protected from the 20+knot winds. We fell in love with Staniel Cay and decided there was no reason not to stay here until early next week. We are in the protected cove just north of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and south of Fowl Cay. The yacht club can hold about 20 boats and the cove about 50. Location is everything.

East of us is “cruisers beach” complete with fire pit, bean bag chairs, benches and shovels. We took the dingy there yesterday afternoon with a bottle of wine to watch the sunset.

We have these cool beach chairs and table and it was our first opportunity to try them out. While there we had a visitor. Did I mention the pigs? No?

One of the main tourist attractions here is the swimming pigs. I kid you not. They have their own beach and boats come in all day long with people anxious to swim with and feed the pigs. Big pigs, little pigs, even in-between pigs. They are friendly and VERY well fed.

Another attraction is a fabulous restaurant on Fowl Cay. Four course Prix Fixe menu with cocktails and wine and unlimited wifi. What more can you ask for?