Go While the Going is Good

I will have to add pictures to this blog once I have internet.

The weather continued to keep us harbour bound. Our trips into Steve’s family restaurant became a daily event. The internet was free, the pool table was free. (I beat the boys). However the 100 peso meals added up along with the cervasas or vino. However it became a life line to talk to family and friends and helped me keep my spirits up.

The weather has not been in our favour until this Thursday morning. !0 boats escaped Luperon. It kept the navy busy and filled their wallets for at least one day.

The rules for entering and exiting harbours in the Dominican Republic are very interesting. You must go to the Comadancia (Navy), Harbour Authority and to wherever else they decide to send you. They generally will not let you leave a harbour before 0900 hr in the morning. This does not work for getting the best sea conditions. Therefore if you go in and pay a little towards their slush funds they give you the dispachio needed to get out of dodge. That’s the first pay off.  The DR has a problem with people trafficking;  Cubans trying to get to Puerto Rico and Haitians trying to get anywhere.  The navy must come to your boat when you arrive to inspect for human cargo and must come when you want to leave. This nominally would not pose a problem but the navy has no boats. Sometimes they get a fisherman to bring them out or they expect you to go get them then bring them back. This of course comes with a “Do you have something special for me?”  They don’t mean pops, more pesos in the form of American Dollars. Well it makes for blog info, so there you have it.

We departed Luperon at 0630 on Mar. 24^th and motored to Mayaguana, Bahamas past the Turks and Caicos. We stopped for lunch and to check fluid levels and continued on to Clarence Town, Bahamas where I sit and write this quickly. The water has been very pleasant.  It is the first time since leaving Grenada.  So, as the saying goes, “get going while the going is good.” You don’t have to tell me twice.

 We will fuel up have dinner then at 1900 hr Mar. 26 will continue on again overnight to the Cave Cays. This will bring us into the Exumas on the west side of the reefs allowing us to travel in any type of weather. We will no longer be in the Atlantic Ocean for awhile. We will have only 4 boating days after that, however we know what weather can do to a boater.

The water is beautiful colours and we are a little apprehensive about traveling in 6 – 12’ of water but that is what travelling the banks is all about.

Kenny finally landed a Dorado and a few other fish so he is one happy boy. I figure now that we are getting closer we will start catching fish because we will not be able to keep them to eat.

I am not sure what the plans are once we get to the Exumas tomorrow but I think we will slow down do some swimming, snorkelling and the boys want to try and catch lobsters with a handmade devise they have put together. Lets hope it works. A lobster dinner that doesn’t cost a fortune would be nice.

As many of you can tell I am itching to get to Port Everglades so that I do not have to worry about making it in time but I know it is important also to stop and smell the roses or fish or whatever I am to smell.