After an all-night crossing of the ocean between the Great Iguana and the Dominican Republic under the Eastern Trade winds and the waves driven by them, we reached a coast so different from our trip through Florida and the Bahamas – mountains, we saw for the first time mountain peaks covered with clouds and forests creating their tropical rain forest climate. We dropped anchor in the first suitable Bahia Monte Christi, under the cover of a beautiful mountain that seemed to be of volcanic origin. Having raised the yellow quarantine flag, we decided to rest before the next leg to Luperon, but it seems that the local Dominican residents decided to entertain us with an all-night celebration on the shore – Spanish songs, amplified to a loud sound, reached our boat, confirming that we had finally arrived to the Dominican Republic. Hola! In the morning, having done the traditional oatmeal porridge breakfast and CTD cast, we set off further along the coast, contemplating not only the beauty of the mountain coasts but also the simple way of life of fishermen rowing out into the open ocean for morning fishing -literally by noon the wind had become so strong that it was hardly possible for them to be at sea. The northern coast of the Dominican Republic is famous for its constant Eastern Tradewinds, which make even sailing in an easterly direction very problematic (the day before our departure, our new friend Dave could not go against the strong wind and waves and turned back on the first approach, we met him in the morning after a night battle with the elements). There is a certain tactic for the coastal passage of these winds at night, when the cooled mountains smooth out the wind effect, bringing it almost to a calm state close to the coast – this effect is called Night lee and it usually lasts until noon, when the sun begins to warm up air. Nevertheless, we preferred day crossings to night crossings, using wind power to help the engine whenever possible. The engine and sails worked reliably, giving us hope for a successful passage along the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Ahead of us was the port of call Luperon – the place where we had to go through immigration clearance.
