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**hpeer** · 24-02-2018, 08:01

This mornings GFS GIFS are showing a nice big window this week. ATM we plan to leave Luperon sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning. There has been a change in he weather here. It’s still raining lots but the squalls have lost their bits.

RE Salinas: I spoke to the marina this am. The lady said they were open with slips to 25’ but may be able to do more. She said the harbor was open for anchoring. That’s encouraging. We need a place to stay in PR for about a week to receive mail and get the dink motor fixed.

LeaseOnLife · 24-02-2018, 08:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by hpeer

This mornings GFS GIFS are showing a nice big window this week. ATM we plan to leave Luperon sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning. There has been a change in he weather here. It’s still raining lots but the squalls have lost their bits.

RE Salinas: I spoke to the marina this am. The lady said they were open with slips to 25’ but may be able to do more. She said the harbor was open for anchoring. That’s encouraging. We need a place to stay in PR for about a week to receive mail and get the dink motor fixed.

Did you check on the swell? We are planing on arriving in Luperon by Saturday, before the swell gets really bad. The WW3 model doesn't go out far enough, check the waves using the European ECMWF model, on windy.com

Dirk

**hpeer** · 24-02-2018, 08:19

This Saturday (today) or next? Today the swell is 9+ feet. Going down to about 6 over the next 24 hours. That’s why we are delaying.

A week from now it should be 5-4 feet with a long duration.

LeaseOnLife · 24-02-2018, 08:26

I was too focused on my own planning... We plan to be there in a week. Sun/Mon in a week the ECMWF shows 12-14ft, sure it is swell, still too much for me when getting close to shore.

ErBrown · 25-02-2018, 05:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Where are you going? We may well be crossing right about that time too, we are now holed up in Vero Beach while I replace the bottom half of my radar pole, get dinghy chaps made etc., then we are ready to go.
We were originally going to do the Western Caribbean, but maybe who we were going with has decided to do something else, so we are sort of back to the original plan, Eastern side first.

Sorry I missed this earlier. We’re currently in Georgetown and planning to leave Tuesday for a hope directly to Samana DR if the weather holds. Our current bailout spots are Luperon or TCI if our window deteriorates.

Where are y’all now?

LeaseOnLife · 25-02-2018, 05:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErBrown

...

Where are y’all now?

Salt Pond, Long island, planning to go inside of Long Island - W of Acklins, to Great Inagua, spend a day there, then Fri-Sat to Luperon.

**hpeer** · 02-03-2018, 17:09

We have made it to Boqueron, PR.
Luperon to Río San Juan
Rio to Samana
Samana to Boqueron

Rio San Juan was a bit dodgey. Navionics were useless. NV charts were mildly helpful. VanSants chart was good and waypoints spot on. I went in a bit too far looking for a less rolly spot and it shoaled “holy ****” fast. Even though the Fathometer showed a foot to spare I was hitting hard off and on for several minutes. Count myself lucky to not get hung hard. A small boat came out and guided us to the right spot. Later the Armada cam out as a passenger in the same boat but didn’t come aboard once he heard we had a dispatchio for Samana and we’re leaving shortly. The water was opaque and the bottom must be weird. Even the parangas would leave a mud trail in 14’ of water. We skipped Escondido due to a NE swell.

Samana was fine, lots of room. A boat boat boy hit us up for a tip but the officials were very professional, gave us a dispatchio and did not charge us a penny.

Crossing was pleasant in ENE winds of 10-15. Wife didn’t get sick so I’m tickled pink. I took a straight line from Cana across about 3 miles North of Mona Island. The last 15 miles or so were nearly dead calm. Motor sailing to make the heading.

The steady ENE winds are making for a tough DR run this year and non- typical Mona crossing strategies. But things may be getting back closer to normal soon.

ErBrown · 07-03-2018, 04:29

Yeah we had a nice passage from Georgetown to Samana DR last week. Looks like there is a nice window for crossing the Mona this Thur/Fri but we're still enjoying the DR too much for that. We'll likely take the next window but want to give ourselves time to soak it all in. Been renting cars and exploring from Samana.

We've been impressed with how Beautiful the DR is. And of course, coming after 3 months in the Bahamas, it's nice to get back into the land of fruits and veggies. We've also found the locals to be very friendly and have had no issues with officials too date. Neither have any of the other cruisers we've spoken with, even those who have been here a couple months. I think the DR is aware of the wrap they've been getting and how it negatively affected tourism, so they've made it a pint to clean that crap up.

For our part, we're wishing we'd come here sooner. It truly is an amazing place.

-Erin

**hpeer** · 07-03-2018, 06:39

Yes, we liked it a lot also. We may come back some day to explore more.

So much to do, so little time.

Jpernick · 09-03-2018, 14:27

To your question regarding Salinas. We were there a couple of days ago. Marina de Salinas is a bit hammered, but open. Tiki bar is open. Anchorage is in good shape. Wrecks around the edges have been removed. There a a couple in the bay that are marked with floats.

Cell service is fine, bars and restaurants are hopping. No reason to skip Salinas.

**hpeer** · 09-03-2018, 16:26

Thanks

We are in Salinas now, must have just missed you. We are here for a couple of weeks visiting the island and having some parts shipped in.

We have friends with a boat in the BVI’s. The boat has been damaged and they were there trying to sort out what to do. A lot of consternation with insurance surveyors and over worked yards. So they didn’t get out but she tried to tell me what she knew and filled in which what she could Pick up from other cruisers. Some second and some third hand info below.

—————

Here’s what we found..we didn’t make it to U.S. Virgins...

St Thomas
We know that St Thomas is damaged..the Home Depot is now open..there are no traffic lights in Charlotte Amalie..immigration is open there..I don’t know anyone that has been to the anchorages..we always stayed in brewers bay..directly next to the airport runway..and a straight shot from culebra..

St John
We know that there is no immigration in St. John at this point..we have heard anchorages are fine..and mooring balls along the beautiful beaches in St. John..no anchoring..Francis bay and Mayo bay are our favorites..Cruz bay is opening a little at a time..no word about fuel, but there were gas stations in Cruz bay , as well as provisioning..waterlemon and leichners bay also lovely, sometimes rolling..

Bvi immigration in jost (not sure) or sopors hole..jost has little provisioning..no fuel or water...beach bars are up and running...nothing in sopors, except a tent for immigration..but they are a little nicer this year! There is dockage in nanny cay and fuel, water and groceries..and a laundry..and a nice pool and beach bar..we know ppl staying there..Road Town looks like a bomb dropped there..big rite way there for food..village cay also is open..more restaurants are opening..we stayed in Penns landing..fat hogs bay..they have fuel, laundry and food...and nice ppl..a great beach called long bay to swim..walking distance..

As far as the other islands..Norman is a good anchorage..good snorkeling..Willy Ts is still closed..Peter is good..you can’t go on land anymore, though..that was a great place to hike around..the resort is ruined..no services on any of these islands..cooper wasn’t up and running yet..north sound is only open at Leverick bay..can’t go ashore anywhere else..bitter end, Saba rock..gone..Leverick has a pirate show Monday Tuesday and Wednesday..we never saw it..but everyone else enjoyed it..they may have fuel at this point, restaurant and groceries..

Lastly, anegada seems to be fine..but no services at all..

LeaseOnLife · 09-03-2018, 16:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jpernick

To your question regarding Salinas. We were there a couple of days ago. Marina de Salinas is a bit hammered, but open. Tiki bar is open. Anchorage is in good shape. Wrecks around the edges have been removed. There a a couple in the bay that are marked with floats.

Cell service is fine, bars and restaurants are hopping. No reason to skip Salinas.

Thanks, we heard the same from a Norwegian boat heading West, good to know!

tunnelvision · 09-03-2018, 21:45

We stopped in Salinas for one night but we couldn't miss the awesome weather window to get to Culebra. Salinas would have been nicer without the idiot blasting his music wide open all night cruising up and down the anchorage.