Month: April 2024

Samaná (Santa Barbara de Samana) is a town on the Samana Peninsula. It’s not just any old town—this place overlooks Samaná Bay, the hotspot for thousands of humpback whales during winter’s mating season. Imagine being in a town where the whales are the talk of the season! And guess what? They’ve even got a Whale Museum with a show-stopping feature—a colossal whale skeleton that puts all other museum exhibits to shame.

Our journey here was a long overnight ride, quite literally. Picture sailing 90 miles along the challenging northern coast of the Dominican Republic, called The Thorny Path, plus we managed to do 3 CTD casts down to more than 100m. But fear not, for our perseverance paid off as we entered in the early morning Bahia de Samana, a tranquil haven shielded from the relentless easterly trade winds. After dropping anchor in the morning in Samana Bay, we received permission to dock at the nearby Puerto Bahia Marina, nestled within a high-level resort. Ah, the perks of yacht life! Sometimes, amidst all the nautical chaos, you just need to kick back, relax, and indulge in a couple of days at a resort. After all, even sailors deserve a taste of the high life, right?

Luperon serves as a hub and immigration checkpoint for all travelers entering the Dominican Republic from the north. Named after General Gregorio Luperon (1839-1897), the country’s 20th President, the town boasts a unique bay, regarded as the safest haven in the entire Caribbean during hurricanes. Its geographical layout, flanked by surrounding mountains, naturally steers hurricanes away, making it a sanctuary for hundreds of yachts during the storm season.

Our initial encounter with the Dominican immigration process felt reminiscent of the bureaucratic procedures of the Soviet Union era. Aside from civil authorities like the harbor captain, immigration officials, customs, and the Ministry of Agriculture, obtaining approval from the Armada (Dominican Navy) proved pivotal. All documents underwent thorough scrutiny, with mandatory yacht photographs required for submission. This marked our inaugural visit to the Armada, a ritual we repeated upon each port arrival and departure, as inclement weather sometimes hindered exit permits (Despacho). In the Dominican Republic, the Armada assumes the responsibility of sailor rescue operations, diligently mitigating risks associated with such endeavors.

Luperon has also become a haven for a community of retirees from the United States. Notably, the renowned sailor and author Bruce Van Sant calls this place home—many sailors rely on his expert guidance for navigating southbound passages.

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.