Carol is back in Florida for a couple of weeks. She will update you on her journey home later. Let’s just say she spent too much time at the San Juan airport in Puerto Rico. You can check the Flickr Photos on the right panel. There are now over 400 photos of the journey so far.

We finally got a weather window and left Provo, Turks & Caicos with S/V Au Gres Des Vents, a 50’ owner built Canadian boat, Louie & Marie and with S/V Elf a 33’ Nonsuch, Marcel & Claudia bringing up the rear with a hand held GPS and our hand bearing compass because theirs didn’t work. It was a flat trip across the Caicos Banks with us motoring the whole trip. S/V Elf radioed us later that afternoon they were having engine problems and they were going to anchor on the banks and meet us the next afternoon at Big Sand Cay which we had pre planned to leave at 1800. 1800 came and no Elf. We heard them hailing a South Caicos marina and we assumed it was to get their engine fixed.
The only good thing I can say about the crossing was that we had a full moon. We had heavy seas and since our auto pilot gave out in Mayaguana, we had to hand steer, the way they did it back in Columbus’s day. What a bummer. We had the jib and main sail up and were flying sometimes doing 6.3kn., (that’s pretty fast for our boat in rough seas). Daybreak came and about ten miles out from Luperon we were hailed by another boat, S/V Marie Alicia who left with us from Mayaguana, and who had left the Turks & Caicos a day earlier, that they were behind us about five miles and coming into Luperon. About five miles out from Luperon our engine quit. Out boat mechanic, “John”, quickly changed the fuel filter and what a relief when the engine started again. We then proceeded into Luperon and what a different world. We saw lush green mountains just like out of a postcard.
We no more than got anchored and the Dominican welcoming committee, the Marina de Guerra or local representative of the Commandante boarded our boat and left us a little lighter in money. Next to come on board our boat was the Department of Agriculture. It was during his visit that the wind generator blew apart. Blades went flying every where and it was a good thing no one was in the captains chair or they wouldn’t be here today. That was the last of our power making after sundown and now we had to run the engine to charge the batteries as the solar panels just couldn’t keep up. Next we were visited by two local Dominicans who told us they did the following, cleaned the bottom of boats, got water and fuel and any other job we needed including taxi service. Now we could finally leave our boat but we had to go to the government dock and visit the Department of Immigration. After all said and done we were approximately $130 US dollars lighter. To make matter’s worse every time you leave the harbour you have to check in with the Commandante and pay a fee to leave and then another fee to return. With that knowledge you can bet Sweet Caroline will be parked here in Luperon until after the Hurricane season.
Later that day we walked around town getting the lay of the land and finding out where most things were. All the natives were very friendly and some spoke English. We found a nice inexpensive restaurant/bar where you could get breakfast, lunch or dinner any time of the day. They also did your laundry, complete with folding it for about $10 for two large bags verses $20 plus we were spending in the Bahamas. Beer seems to be a cheap commodity with a quart cost $1.75 and $1.25 during happy hour. Right in the harbor there is a marina and a Yacht Club where you can get meals as well as grog and a great place to meet other boaters.
On Friday, four days after we arrive here in Luperon we heard S/V Elf calling on the VHF and never heard our return call to them. On Sunday while at the flea market at the Yacht Club one of the boaters told us a boat was on the reef west of us about twenty miles. Two boaters left on motorcycles to see if they could help them. Sure enough the boat was S/V Elf but thank goodness they had gotten off the reef with no damage to the hull and only a ripped sail. Later that afternoon S/V Elf called us and we were able to communicate with them. They said they were safely anchored but their engine didn’t start. They said that a local was coming in the morning to look at the engine. All day the boaters in the harbor were calling about an update on S/V Elf as they could hear Sweet Caroline but not Elf. Somehow we were able to reach them over two mountains and about 20 miles away. We heard from them the next day that they got their engine going and would see us in a few days. The is not the first that that their boat has tangled with a reef and John says they are using up the nine lives of their two cats aboard. In fact their boat was damaged on a reef in Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas and they purchased the boat through e-bay. As of this writing we are still awaiting S/V Elf who by now is really famous in this harbor.
Life is good here in Luperon for the moment but you never can tell when something else will happen. You always have to be prepared for the worst.
Carol is flying home to Florida on Sunday the 27th day of July for about three weeks and is bringing more spare parts back to the boat. Everyone is keeping an eye on the Captain and makes sure he keeps busy fixing things while Carol is gone.
John & Carol aboard the S/V Sweet Caroline

Received some pictures of Mom and Dad today via the mail service from the Turk and Caicos. I added the picture below because I think it is a great picture of both of them. They seem to be enjoying themselves and I’m sure they will have some stories to tell. Anyway this picture might be on Flickr but I thought it would b a great picture for the blog. John A

P.S. There are rumors that they have a cell phone in the Dominican Republic.