The last message stated we were headed toward Conception Cay and then Rum Cay. Well, we missed them both. The wind was coming directly on our nose (of course) and was so strong we were only making about one knot.Download
Well, here we are sitting in a lovely cove on the Southwest corner of Eleuthera Island. We went exploring yesterday and found the most beautiful resort in the next cove over. We had sailed past it when we came in and it looked abandoned, yet all the lawn chairs were sitting out on the beach. We found that the resort h... more
Well, the last couple days have been amazing. We left West End, Grand Bahama Island heading for Hole in the Wall. It was very calm and we motored all the way arriving there the next morning. The bay was crystal clear and we had it entirely to ourselves, with the exception of an old tanker wreck. The next day the wind ... more
I'm sick, you are sick. We are all sick if we are not doing exactly what we want to be doing. Yes, I know it's easy to say but sometimes we have to work to pay bills, to feed our kids, to help our aging relatives, to collect silly pieces of green paper. Why? Because we have been trained to be useful; to chase green pa... more
There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding a recent remark I made regarding eating your girlfriend. One reader writes: "I tried your suggestion but my girlfriend will not stay in the frying pan. I love my food fried. What should I do?" Another writes: "Do you prefer them baked or broiled?"Download
The sound came late at night. The boat swayed as it accepted a large weight on the port side. I was huddled near the radio trying to hear above the static, was there anyone else alive in this god-forsaken place ...Download
The sound came late at night. The boat swayed as it accepted a large weight on the port side. I was huddled near the radio trying to hear above the static, was there anyone else alive in this god-forsaken place ...Download
God, it was cold getting up this morning. The weather must be down around freezing. Took a while to get out from underneath the covers. A sheet, blanket, heavy comforter. Now I know what the cavemen must have felt like crawling out from underneath all the hides. The dock was so cold it had iced up, almost fell down go... more
This is the story of a dream come true.My dad was born on September, 1946 in Centerville, Iowa as the oldest of what would eventually be five siblings. After a difficult childhood bouncing between Iowa and Southern California he ran away from home the summer before his senior year. He would finish high school, and t... more
This is a poor attempt at trying to remember Lazarus. Lazarus was my first boat, a Hardin 44 Ketch. She was clearly to large for my first boat but she had great "pirate ship" lines and I could afford her. She had previously been named "Mahalus" or something like that and I wanted to resurrect her from a dock-side condo... more
I decided to go to Santiago today to get some spare fan belts for my engine. As I stated in a previous email, the belts I bought here in Luperon were very cheap and burnt out quickly. So I decided to get good quality "GATES" belts. On to Santiago. The problem is that Santiago is about 3 hours away by bus and I didn't k... more
You all know how this goes. Everything is working fine but you decide to just tweak this one little thing and then ...I had a diesel mechanic come over to check my engine. It seemed to be vibrating more than it used to and also needed a 500 hour valve adjustment. So he checks the alignment, no problem. Checks the valve... more
Saturday evening was a highlight in Luperon. The local marina had a pre-hurricane 60s party that I went to. The food was horrible, very dry, and overpriced. The one man band, a local cruiser, was off key. So, a group that I met heard that the Bahia Luperon (a restaurant in town) was televising the Lewis-Tyson heavyweig... more
Well, I have learned some interesting stuff over the last few days. For instance, did you know that 30% of the population has AIDS and another 30% has a antibiotic resistant version of syphilis? Wow, that's enough to keep "Willie" in the barn, if you know what I mean!!!On the positive side, food here is very cheap. A c... more
I just got back from a three day trip around the DR with a French Canadian "family." We went East to the end of the island, a place called Semana. It is billed as a lovely city and the waterfront was ok but deserted. There is a huge bay coming into Semana but only a couple boats. I have heard it is not very safe with a... more
I just wanted you to know that I actually work sometimes. The day before yesterday I cut a 20ft. line, attached it to an old float and then attached it to a block of cement that was 15ft. under the water. Viola: a new mooring buoy. Yesterday I got very busy and did the same thing with four more floats. The total work t... more
Here are a couple interesting, well at least I think interesting, notes on Luperon.I walked into town Saturday. Took the long route around the bay, over the hill, and through the dale. Mostly countryside with chickens, horses, and cattle. I finally made it into the village and was sitting in the plaza enjoying an ice t... more
Luperon was named after General Luperon, who was one of the DR's greatest heroes. In 1879, after being invaded by Haiti and occupied for several years, the country was reorganized, under Luperon's leadership,(read that dictatorship) and set on the road to economic recovery. Well, ok so it's a slow path but at least the... more
I met a Dutch couple yesterday. I was sitting in the plaza trying to decide what to do with the day when a local "bus" came by and dropped off this couple. They were clearly lost so I asked if I could help. One thing led to another and I ended up giving them a tour of Luperon, a dinghy trip around the bay, a visit to V... more
I woke up this morning to the sound of many birds singing. The harbor here is surrounded by mountains covered in forest. It is very green. I read that the rainy season is from June to November and they get about 60 inches. We will see. I moved the boat into a very protected little corner of the bay and am now protected... more
Vantage Point is safely anchored in Luperon harbor, Dominican Republic. I am going to like it here. The customs and immigration people were the friendliest I have met in 1 1/2 yrs. and the exchange rate is 18 pesos to the dollar. It was a rough trip from Big Sand Caye over here. Big Sand Caye was lovely but we had to l... more
Well, we made it safely to Big Sand Caye. This is the last island in the T&C chain and we had to cross the Columbus Passage to get here. It was very bouncy with 25 knot winds and 10 foot seas. This island is a paradise. There is no one here except for terns, sea gulls, and a few oyster catchers. On the North end of the... more