April 30: Luperon to Samana

The winds and seas laid down enough by April 30 that we could begin our passage to Puerto Rico. We left about 6pm Thursday, April 30 for the 55 mile first leg. While the big group of boats had decided to wait another day, Ross and Fran of S/V Pacific Quest joined us for the trip. They are 27 and 25, from Australia and New Zealand, and met while crewing a 200 foot power yacht as engineer and purser. It was still very rough upon leaving Luperon harbor, heading into 8 foot seas and 20knot winds. It calmed down 2 hours later and we settled into our night passage. We arrived in Rio San Juan about 7am with plans for sleep and sustenance before leaving that evening.
We left Rio San Juan about 6pm, heading for Escondido but with such good weather conditions that we decided to push on to Samana, the last port of call for us in the Dominican Republic. This was about 75 miles and we arrived around 10am. We slept. The next day, we received a visit from the navy comandancia (sweet digital desert camos but no boat) to check our papers. This boarding crew included a “doctor” to check us for swine flu. She looked smart in a tight capri jeans, low cut clingy shirt, heels and pony tail/ghetto cap ensemble…I guess what all the cool 3rd world doctor fashionistas are wearing this season. We went to shore for lunch and found a buffet that included goat. I have never had this before and it is very tasty. Naps ensued.

Ross and Fran, calm waters in Luperon, boat meeting prior to departure

The entrance, harbour and town of Samana, Dominican Republic

It is nice to travel with another boat so we can get pictures of our own boat under full sail.