Cruising in the Dominican Republic.

Please send any comments to me. This page updated: September 2008

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Free cruising guide (PDF file) on Noonsite's DR page
luperoncruising.com
Dominican Republic News and Travel Information Service
Excite about Dominican Republic
Lonely Planet - Dominican Republic
DR map from World Atlas
maps from Caribbean-On-Line
Some Spanish phrases for cruisers

Charts: Wavey Line Publishing charts, or NIMA charts, or chartbook from Bellingham Chart Printers ($80; no chart of Luperon).
I looked at someone's Garmin GPS-plotter once, and although it had "coverage" of the DR, it showed only a grey blob when you tried to zoom-in on Luperon harbor. Check yours ahead of time.

Guidebooks: "Gentleman's Guide to Passages South" by Bruce Van Sant (lots of good harbor and town sketches), and "Turks and Caicos Guide" by Stephen Pavlidis (has about 10 pages on the DR).

Dominican Republic courtesy flag

Spanish.
Currency: approximately US$1 = 32 Dominican Republic Pesos (sometimes written "RD$" or just "$") in late 2005.
Relatively cheap prices if you speak Spanish, bargain, and shop outside of Luperon. Van Sant's book says DR is good place to provision, but he assumes you take your boat to Puerto Plata, which few people do.

From "Destiny Calls": "The Dominican Republic is not the cheapest place in the Caribbean, just one of the poorest".

Risk of malaria in Haiti and rural areas of DR bordering Haiti.
Hepatitis B is highly prevalent in the DR and Haiti.
Hepatitis A is found in rural areas.

When leaving, and exchanging pesos for US dollars, you're allowed to exchange only 30% of amount originally exchanged into pesos. In other words, you're forced to spend 70% of what you exchange into pesos. Keep receipts from all dollar-to-peso exchanges.

Tap water may not be safe to drink for visitors. Bottled water sold near dock for 40 pesos for 5 gallons.

A very common refrain from cruisers who have been to the DR and Puerto Rico:
skip the DR entirely and go straight to Puerto Rico (because of theft and greedy officials in the DR, and because PR is so nice).

Winter-league baseball: late October through January.
Carnival in Santiago: February and August.
Carnival: first Sunday after Feb 27.
Carnaval: best in town of La Vega, in February (on weekends, with parades on Sundays, largest at end of month).
Merengue Festival in Santo Domingo in late July and early August.
Smaller Merengue Festival in Puerto Plata in October.
Santa Domingo: many museums and old churches; Colonial Zone; Alcazar de Colon (castle and museum); La Ataranza / Royal Mooring Docks; Catedral Santa Maria la Meno; Columbus Lighthouse complex (museums, zoo-park); Museum of Fine Arts; Museum of Natural History.

There are two rainy seasons: October to May along the northern coast, and May to October in the south.

Great beaches. Reefs and fishing are substandard.
Good deserted beach: Playa Bavaro at Bavaro.

Winter breeding grounds for humpback whales: "Silver Banks" off NE corner of DR.

International airports: Las Americas (20 miles east of Santo Domingo), and La Union (25 miles east of Puerto Plata).

Ports of entry on north coast: Puerto Plata, Manzanillo Bay, Samana, Luperon.

From Luperon article by James Baldwin in 2/2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:

Some charts call Luperon "Puerto Blanco". [Apparently Luperon is the town and Puerto Blanco is the harbor.] Narrow entrance channel surrounded by reefs; buoys sometimes drift or disappear. Absence of bureaucracy, low cost of living, friendly people. Dinghy dock at Puerto Blanco Marina in northern arm of bay. Weekly potlucks and Sunday boater's flea market. Luperon town pier: public water tap, dinghy dock. Luperon is a port of entry; offices near the town pier. Fees about $68 plus $10/person.

From "Mattkoray": when coming west from Puerto Rico and checking in at Punta Cana, the officials refused to give any receipts. This caused problems later with Immigration fees in Luperon.

From "Turks and Caicos Guide" by Stephen Pavlidis:

Luperon harbor entrance: markers red-on-right as you enter, but don't trust the markers. Be very careful; you're entering between two shoals, and more shoals inside. When entering the country, don't pay extra to "Commandante". Seawater in Luperon harbor is filthy. The tapwater and ice made from it are unsafe. Luperon has machine shop, medical clinic, propane refill. Take busses to other cities. Puerto Plata is commercial center of the north coast, and has tourist resorts. Santiago is industrial center, in central highlands. Santo Domingo is capital, with population over 2 million. Great diving on DR's south and east shores; reefs on north shore are very damaged.

From Dave in Marathon 11/2004 (just spent 4 years in DR):

There really are no good charts of the DR. Get a small-scale (wide area) chart of the whole country or area, then use harbor sketches in Van Sant's book. Usually can avoid paying additional fees in each new port you enter: just say "no" when asked, and show previous receipts and permits. Say "no" a few more times, then if they get very insistent, pay. Rules vary from port to port and official to official. People say the DR is "fished out", but only the easy places within rowing distance of the coast are fished out. A few miles out in the ocean, fishing is great. People say the swimming/diving is bad, but there are plenty of pretty little gunkholes and coves to explore. Theft: thieves will swim out in the middle of the night and cut the painter on a tethered dinghy, and float it away. Also, on an unattended boat, will crowbar a hatch open to get inside.

Entering Luperon harbor: call for Mike on "Seacomber" on VHF 68, and he might come out in his dinghy to guide you in. [In 6/2005, he came out without any radio call; he checked every morning for arrivals. I probably could have made it in okay anyway, but it was nice to have a guide.
10/2006, I'm told he's no longer in Luperon.]

From Noonsite:

Because of the prevailing NE winds, the south coast offers more protected anchorages, although the more scenic bays are on the wild and rugged north coast. The north coast only offers a handful of sheltered anchorages and as it is usually difficult to cover the distances between them in one day's sail, cruising here needs careful planning. ... The best northern anchorages are to be found between Puerto Plata and Manzanillo Bay. However, the most attractive area is at Samana Bay: one may come across a group of humpback whales who migrate south to the bay area for the breeding season. The best facilities are in the capital, Santo Domingo, which has a large number of local sailors and adequate facilities for both sail and power boats. An alternative is Boca Chica in Puerto de Andrés, where one can use the facilities of the local Club Nautico. Outside of the large industrial centres, repair facilities for yachts are virtually non-existent although minor repairs can be dealt with by ordinary workshops. Ports of entry: Casa de Campo (southeast DR), Luperon, Punta Cana (east DR), Santo Domingo [Van Sant says: Manzanillo also]. If possible, one should arrive during working hours, 0800-1700. Fly the Q flag and wait to be boarded, as it is illegal to land before clearance. Usually a port official will come with customs and immigration officers. The ship's papers, passports and clearance certificate from last port should be presented on arrival. Then a visitor's card for each person must be obtained. Yachts must clear from port to port, and see customs on each arrival, but there is no charge for this. Clearance papers must be obtained from each port. Note that many ports are closed to foreign yachts, unless one has special permission. Permission should also be obtained from the Port Authority to cruise outside of the ports. Dominican officials expect, and often request, a small present after business has been concluded. This need not necessarily be money and it is not obligatory, but it is difficult to avoid. A small gift or a small amount of money (a few dollars) will be highly appreciated. Tourist cards (required for USA nationals), valid for up to 60 days from the date of entry, can be obtained on arrival for US$10. Luperon: Yachts on arrival are usuallly be boarded by customs, immigration and agriculture. One must also visit the Naval Commandante, whose office is located on the hill and the immigration office in town. There is a dinghy dock at the government dock. There are two mercados in the town that have basic supplies, as well as various small stores and street stalls selling fresh produce. Puerto Plata is about 25 miles away and has two supermarkets with a better selection of goods. Cases of ciguatera have been reported on the north coast between Samana and Puerto Plata. There is a risk of malaria in certain provinces.

From Lee Haefele on The Live-Aboard List:

Entry to DR will cost about $130, per port. They seem to allow you to stay at ports that are not entry points without fees while waiting weather. Luperon is WONDERFUL, but you do land-based stuff there, busses and taxis and food cost near nothing in US$$.

From Windom log file [2001]:

Upon entering Luperon, first batch of officials included Commandante, and asked for a tip; we said no. Second batch: we paid the Immigration official $10 for the boat and $10 for a tourist card for each of us, good for 60 days in the country. "Agricultural inspector" asked for $5; we said no. Woman asked for $5 for a harbor fee, which we had also been told wasn't legitimate, but she raised a big stink; we paid. Since cruisers are only permitted entry to a few particular ports in the Dominican Republic, we are keeping the boat in Luperón and doing our sightseeing by land. Fortunately, this is easy to do. Luxury buses -- comfy seats, air conditioning, and old American action movies, dubbed or subtitled in Spanish, on video monitors -- run all over the country for ridiculously cheap ticket prices. For about $4.50 each we rode in style to Santo Domingo, a trip of about 150 miles, which took four hours. [Stayed overnight in hotel, hit museums, hardware store, etc.] Now most cruisers park in smaller, more protected Luperón and visit Puerto Plata by land. There are lots of touristy things to do in Puerto Plata, and the groceries and hardware stores are far bigger than those in Luperón. [In April] it only rains at night; sometimes it's just a sprinkle, sometimes a real boat-washer. It's good to have the rainwater, since we're reluctant to run our watermaker in this foul harbor. Bottled water's fairly cheap here. [Rented van and driver to go to:] Santiago is a big and modern city, and we gleefully spent money in the huge hardware stores, auto-parts stores, pharmacies, and fabric stores. Bottles of rum (the recommended "gift" for commandantes in ports where you're technically not allowed to anchor). Leaving Luperon: Three weeks of inactivity in the rich organic mangrove-surrounded harbor had encouraged an entire ecosystem to grow on our anchor chain. Visibility was still terrible outside the harbor, so scraping prop out there wasn't much better. Escondido: very beautiful. Since this harbor is one of those where yachts are not officially welcome, we opted to anchor just inside the eastern cliff, far from civilization. We anchored only 50 feet from shore -- and it was 50 feet deep! Escondido to Samana: We were glad to have chosen to do this stretch of coastline in daylight, because the scenery was spectacular.

From "Delirious": Escondido is a beautiful anchorage, with a huge cliff coming down into the water, and a beautiful beach.

From Osiris Sailing on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 3/2005:

Luperon: There is a new marina / yacht club in the bay - Marina Luperon Yacht Club which is located on the north side of the main anchorage. It is open to every cruiser as the "yacht club" in the name is only there to differientate it from another facility under construction on the south shore. Facilities available include dockage, clubhouse, good food, internet access, a spectacular view of the whole harbor and 59 stairs to good heart health. To enter Luperon Harbor always try to arrive at or just after dawn, and call on VHF 68 before trying to enter the harbor. Somebody will come out and help you navigate the channel into the bay. All the facilities and cruisers monitor VHF 68 day and night.

From Gord May on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 3/2005:

Don't recall where I got this, but it's useful information on LUPERON: ... Luperon (Puerto Blanco) is an extraordinary hurricane hole, made secure by surrounding hills and holding ground of anchor-swallowing gelatinous muck. Thievery happens, but is rare. Many cruisers wait out hurricane season in Luperon because of its shelter, but also because hurricanes avoid this part of the North Coast, tending instead to track through the Bahamas, or pass to the south on the other side of the Septentrional Mountains. ... For eastbound cruisers, Luperon is the place to hunker down and await a weather window. In these waters, that means a period of diminished trade winds and seas; otherwise you face a head-on bash to Puerto Rico with only one port to break up the trip: Samana, a nest of outboard motor thieves. ... For local knowledge, put out a call on Channel 68, which is monitored by every cruiser in the harbor. Channel 16, while not restricted to Dominican military use, is nearly useless because no one but the Navy listens to it. Entry procedures: Anchor anywhere with Q flag hoisted and wait for Dominican entry officials in a skiff; it is customary to offer them a cold soft drink. If they don't show, dinghy to the government dock and walk into town. At the outskirts, to the left is a path leading to a small bridge and the hilltop naval outpost. The commandante will record your presence, giving you legal permission to wander about on land. The immigration officer will catch up with you later. Fees are $10 U.S. for the boat, $10 for each passport, a $5 harbor fee and $5 garbage and water fee at the government dock. ... Charts: Incredible as it may seem, no large-scale government chart of Luperon exists. Hispaniola 017 by Wavey Line Publishing, available at major chart providers, depicts a small-scale view of the Turks and Caicos, the north coast of the Dominican Republic and western Puerto Rico with several harbor charts on the backside. It's an excellent chart, which includes waypoints, but again, Luperon is inexplicably omitted. ...

From Paco PWD on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 3/2005:

Gord, the whole article is "A Hurricane Hole And an Adventure Of A Lifetime" by Peter Swanson, a very nice read. I spent one week in Luperon January 05 with intent to check out the cruising community there (and it's large) there were approx. 100 boats there. The bay is indeed a Hurricane Hole, during the last one that went directly over, only 2 or 3 boats got loose and only that they were unattended and not prepared. FYI, the Marina Luperon is still a hole in the ground with only the sales office and bar open and nothing else. The construction is on hold as someone owns a tract of land in the middle and is holding out for big $$$, I'm told. ... Mike Donovan, the de facto harbour master ... The water does NOT move much, it's BROWN, so swimming off the boat is out of the question and no public beaches around. ... ... there are virtually NO boat facilities available, NO parts NO nothing for serious repairs. Some guy was waiting 4 weeks for an alternator from U.S., as stuff only comes to Santo Domingo and you have to arrange a cab delivery to Luperon $$$$$$$$$.

From OSIRIS on SSCA discussion boards 2/2005:

There is a new marina / yacht club in Luperon, Dominican Republic. The name is Marina Luperon Yacht Club and is located along the north side of the main anchorage. The club house is up on the hill with a fantastic view of the whole harbor. They have limited dockage available now and a brand new easily accessed dinghy dock. The facilities are open to everybody - the "Yacht Club" in the name is only to differentiate it from another Luperon Marina facility across the bay that has been under construction for several years and will not be open for several more years. Internet access, good food, gigantic satellite TV, and 59 stairs to better health are among the benefits available to visiting cruisers.

From someone on SSCA discussion boards:

Re: Is Luperon a good Hurricane Hole? Luperon is protected from the sea nearly 360 degrees, as the entrance to the harbor is a dogleg and the harbor is long and fairly narrow. The main protective feature is massive high mountains rising around the area on 3 sides which destroy or deflect hurricanes that try to come across. The holding is good in very soft mud but you must be set for several days before you can rely on the hook being really dug in due to the deep slime and reversing current (tidal). There are also lots of mangroves around to tie to. Local lore states that they've never had hurricane force winds in the harbor. As a place to hide from a hurricane it is great. As a place to STAY during hurricane season it leaves a lot to be desired IMHO ... but some live and love it there for years.

From someone on SSCA discussion boards:

We spent last hurricane season in Luperon on our CSY 44. Hurricane Jeanne went directly overhead and there was no wind greater than 35. We also loved being there. The locals are wonderful and there is much to see and do.

From BigGB on SSCA discussion boards:

[Someone asked: Luperon versus Rio Dulce for hurricane protection:] Well ... I can give you my thoughts on Luperon: On the plus side: 1. Excellent hurricane protection and good holding once you find the right spot and get the hook well dug in. 2. Friendly cruising community and good know-how to fix stuff. 3. Cheap beer and restaurants. 4. Beautiful countryside if you go on tours. On the downside: 1. Dirty ... sanitation a problem. 2. Fresh clean meat, dairy difficult to find. 3. Real poverty and squalor ... but friendly people. 4. You really need a bit of Spanish to get along. 5. No haulout facilities for major repairs, or marinas that support a plugged-in lifestyle. As you can see ... it is a mix and it all depends on your personal preferences. Personally, I was glad to leave after a month and would look for something on the south shore of Puerto Rico if faced with your situation ... but many seem to spend years happily in Luperon.

About Luperon DR, from Lee Church, 2003:

I am thinking it's a good place to stay for the season ... learn Spanish and then head further south in november/december, or north ... or west ... or ... It's definitely a candidate for culture shock if one were to stay here ... serious culture shock. It's not for everyone and hardly for most cruiser's tastes though ... ... Diesel is a bit cheaper than the USA ... but as inflation is over 100% for the year everything is a moving target. As for quality, I would use the Baja filter before putting it in the tank although I have not had to buy any here yet. You can also get diesel delivered to the dock ... but at a higher cost of course. In the scope of beeronomy things are cheaper, yet not as cheap as commonly believed. For one thing just getting cash costs much more than in the USA ... some places take 10% off the top for ATM card use. It's like anywhere ... you have to beware, shop around and understand what is a good value and what is not ... really tough to answer within an email such a complex topic. The economy here has different motivating factors than the USA, and a different value structure that overlaps what we are used to dealing with. ... I would use the Pavlidis charts for the DR north shore where you will arrive (the electronic ones are pretty good for Luperon, and print them out of course as backup). We are getting ready to say "adios" to the DR (though it's a great country). I would spend as much time as you can in the Bahamas. Get there early, and take your time coming on down. It's a bit tricky waiting for weather, but once you get the hang of it, it's not so hard. Also, when you get to the DR, if you didn't take your time in the Bahamas, you will regret missing the blue waters and fishing, etc. Turks and Caicos is a bit pricey, so try to anchor, check through and wait for weather. I would be wary of an extended stay there. ... Entry fees: $10 per person for immigration, $35 for the boat port authority?, $25 for boat agriculture thing ... and maybe something else for $10, don't remember exactly ... it may depend on how big the boat is ... And of course you don´t have to pay the commandante (the guy with the gun who takes you aside and asks for money without a receipt). Of course you can pay him, but then you have to live with being an easy target in the future as well, the dock guys will try for money ... well, everyone will try for money ... but that's the way things work i suppose. I know people who have paid more than I did, but not less ... ... [November 2004, asked about drinking water:] We have rigged a tarp to collect rainwater. We use that water for drinking and cooking, and occasionally the hot shower. We only put rain water in our tanks and add a touch of chlorine every few cycles. Excess chlorine is bad for me and the tank. We have found we really don't need any chlorine, but add a very small amount anyway, just to be safe. Yesterday and today we collected about 50 gallons of water with the tarp setup, and I have not purchased bottled water (available in the 5-gallon bottles for 30 pesos) since last september (2003). We use jerry cans for dinghy dock water, which is a mix of well water and town water, for showers and cleaning. We use a solar shower attached to the main mast with a tube that runs through the head dorade box and to a valve and shower head so we can shower below with hot/warm water and still have some semblance of modesty. Entering rainy season I expect that water collection while in Luperon and Samana will not be a big problem. A watermaker would be a great toy to have aboard east of the DR and am considering it. I have a propeller lost in DHL customs transit hell (since March) ...

From The Aldebaran Travel Log:
"Luperon: The people are very friendly and helpful. Our refrigerator compressor broke and the local hardware store guy has made arrangements to get a new one for us from the big city of Santo Domingo. Everything from beer to diesel to phone calls is much cheaper here."

Luperon, from letter from Dick and Mary Hein in 10/2002 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:

Entry fee $71 in 2002. Good holding in anchorage. Good, inexpensive restaurants. Much cheaper than Bahamas and Turks. Water available at marina; added a little bleach and drank it. A few basic grocery stores in town. Rent van with driver Jaime and go to Santiago for large supermarket, hardware store. Luperon article in 8/2002 issue of Passagemaker Magazine. Doing Mona Passage: most people leave from Samana, but also could go to Los Haitses Park, then Miches, then Punta Cana, then Punta Macao, then jump.

Good hurricane holes: Manzanilla, Luperon, Samana.

From Lee Haefele on The Live-Aboard List:

Luperon, DR was great. The current exchange rate of 45-50 pesos to 1 dollar is somehow wrong, in our favor. Everything is so cheap, that you do it all. This coupled with the cheerful people and interesting tropical landscape and mountains is a paradise. From the beginning: Arriving by boat you must arrive before 9 am, as the trade winds commonly make the harbor impassable later. A VHF call on 16 or 68 will bring one of the long-term cruisers out in a dinghy to guide you in. The harbor entrance is curvy and uncharted, the guide is essential. 5-7 armed officials will come aboard and charge about $110US total, giving receipts. Fees will likely be repeated at other DR ports. After this, obtain Pesos from the money machine, do not part with your US$$, there is no way to get any later for your return trip. The harbor is well sheltered with reasonable holding in mud. Unfortunately, the water is filthy, you learn to wash after handling dinghy lines. Luperon is a small, safe town. There are no real full-service marinas yet. Puerto Blanco Marina has dockage for about 5 boats, electric and water, restaurant and bar, but no repairs or fuel. These services are handled by a combination of locals and several long-term cruisers who do various repairs. There are about 6 English-speaking restaurants plus many local food stands. A full dinner is 90-180 pesos ($2-$4). Double-size (650 ml) Presidente beers are $1 at a bar. Jose's tours are great, full-day tours are usually $20-$25/person. Taxis can be had for 1200 pesos/day for trips to other cities. Bus service is very good, 130 pesos to Santo Domingo. Propane refill was 130 pesos plus 50 for the 3 mile motochoncho ride. Gas was about $2 us/gal, I did not buy Diesel, it is arranged by boat boys to be delivered in local skiffs. Telephone calls to US are $.15/min. Anyway, for minimum dollars, you can visit here and have a wonderful, active time. There were 100-150 boats there with us and there were lots of cruiser-arranged get-togethers. We traveled to Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Imbert, Caberete. Luperon is sort of 3rd world, people live in small houses, but are usually well-dressed and clean. Haitian laborers seem very poor, farmers don't use machinery, just Haitians. The same with construction, cement is mixed all by hand by Haitians. The electric and water only work about 1/2 the time. Dinner out is often by candlelight. The country was out of propane for about a week. Don't drink the local water or accept any ice except the round machine-made cubes; lots of cruisers did get short-lasting stomach problems. I rate Luperon as the best port visited. I have also heard good reports about Samana, but not Puerto Plata. Tradewinds can make travel to Luperon a waiting game, we waited 11 days at South Caicos while winds blew 25-35 daily. For guide books, see Bruce VanSant's "Gentleman's Guide to Passages South" (he lives in Luperon) and Stephen Pavlidis' "Turks and Caicos Guide".

From Lee Haefele on The Live-Aboard List:

Hispaniola / Dominican Republic charts: This was quite a trial of Job finding useful paper charts for this area. Below is a report on what I found. Bluewater books has everything in stock, most of the salespeople had sailed or motored to the DR. One salesman sold me some stuff that was of no use at all. Wavey Line charts: Supposedly these have been corrected using WAAS GPS. HIS 017 Good routing chart of Hispaniola, with a few harbor charts, Harbors: Puerto Plata, Monte Christi/Manzanillo Bay, interior only of Bahia Samana, with no chart of entrance. Other harbor charts on south and east coasts. Very useful. HIS 020 Harbor charts of south shore DR, and west shore of Haiti, many harbor charts. Nothing of any use on north shore. TC001 Great routing chart of Turks and Caicos. TC002 Providenciales, very detailed, color. TC003 Turks Islands, very detailed with dive sites (not color). British Admiralty #463, 6 harbor charts of north shore, including entrance to Samana and Puerto Plata that are missing from HIS 017, but does not include any chart showing coastline. Seems to deviate from Wavey Line charts as to most GPS positions by about 1/4 mile. Ocean Grafix "Charts on demand" 25673 of Mayaguez PR. Bluewater salesman stated that Maptech chartbook #10 (that I just bought from them) was woefully out of date for this area and I needed this. There was NO difference, they are the same chart. ISS Waterproof chart #16, good routing chart from FL to PR, not much detail, except reverse side is detailed Mona Passage. None of above have Luperon )-; . There is a good Luperon Harbor sketch in Van Sant's Gentleman's Guide to Passages South, Pg 194. (Best, very complete book for DR info.) There is also reported to be one in Pavlidis' T+C guide.

From article by M. Rorke Miller in 3/2002 issue of Blue Water Sailing magazine:

Especially in Samana: Hoist and lock dinghy and outboard every single night; dinghy theft to get outboards is rampant. Don't leave anything loose on deck. Officials keep tight watch on the coast, because of heavy drug smuggling activity. Not many people speak English.

From someone in Warderick Wells 4/2005:

Don't leave fuel jugs on deck; they'll be stolen. Checking in at Manzanillo costs only $35. Checking in at Luperon costs $85. If they try to sell you a $200 cruising permit, don't buy it. Give small bottles of rum as tips. Some people get nasty rashes or parasites from the water or food; be careful.

From MelissaK on Cruising World message board:

Re: Land travel: DON'T rent a car ! The driving there is horrendous. You'd be much better off with locals driving you around, and it'd cost probably the same as a rental. I can't describe, really, but the driving and drivers is/are just different, and dangerous. It's a physically beautiful, but depressing country. I was there for five months, in Luperon Bay, on the north coast. The average educational level is fourth grade. Lots of people live in dirt-floored homes. Elections had folks voting for the "white" or the "purple" ticket. They don't much watch TV, or CNN. Yet there are a lot of plusses. I've never seen a society that shares like they do. A household of twelve, and only one person working and paying for everything. I'd travel really light, and just rent a taxi to go from town to town. Ask the taxi driver to find you a place to stay, I've done that and stayed with families. Do not wear nice jewelry or fancy clothes, you know that! There's almost no English spoken.

From Van on Cruising World message board:

Re: Land travel: Santo Domingo: you can see the oldest church and University in the Americas. Originally Colon's (Columbus, for the gringos) land base, then his son's. Get a driver and car, just as cheap or cheaper than renting a car, and you do not want the legal complications were you to get involved in an accident there. Just ask at the taxi stand at the airport. Take a few days here, lots to see. For the modern development, drive east to La Romana and see the resorts such as Casa de Campo, up to the restored Altos de Chabon tourist village. A few more miles NE you get to the SW border of Samana nature preserve. Get a boat here and cruise around, even go to Samana harbor: touristy, overpriced, aimed at the powerboaters from PR. East to Punta Cana will give you the rest of the tourist traps. Now it gets interesting, north from SD, head up to Santiago, the center of tobbacco and coffee production. This is an old city still deeply connected to its past and although developed, not at all corrupted by tourism, yet. For some recent history, see the german yewish colony east of Puerto Plata. Trujillo granted asylum to a boatload of refugees from Europe and they prospered there. Now most of the tourists there are europeans and they resent the Americans, perhaps remembering how the "ship of fools" was not allowed to disembarc. Not to worry, you will be tolerated. To find poverty and underdevelopment, drive west and then SW from SD, to Barahona, nearer the Haitian border, very poor and mostly survival farming and fishing villages. People are friendly and will give you the shirt off their backs, literally. Great fishing and snorkelling.

From seaplane pilot in Dry Tortugas: El Portillo: French heritage, wonderful food.

From "Insider's Guide to the Caribbean" by Jonathan Runge:
Puerto Plata very touristy. Sosua is nice. Cabarete is windsurfing capital. San Pedro de Macoris is baseball capital.

From Jack Tyler on SSCA discussion boards:

[Re: anchorages on the south coast?] Yes, the south coast is absent much discussion - everyone seems to use the T+C/DR/PR highway. If you have a CD of SSCA Bulletins, search under WHOOSH and you'll find a write-up we did for our run across the Central Caribbean, including a few spots along the S coast of both the DR and Haiti. (If you don't have the CD, consider buying it. It's a great resource, easily searched using Adobe Reader, and only $20 for 8 years of monthly cruiser tips - quite a value). I've recommended to others that they consider picking up an old copy of the Caribbean Cruising Guide (or a title similar to that) by Wallace Stone. In the less travelled parts of the Caribbean, we found its info not much dated and very helpful. Also, the discussion about weather systems, currents and such is well done and timeless. If going a bit further, consider getting a copy of Lethbridge's Jamaica Cruising Guide. It's also dated (last published in the late 80's, as I recall, reprinted in the mid-90's) but again, not as much changes on that coast as other places. His sketch charts are excellent, as was his pilotage and weather advice. Port Antonio and Ocho Rios have seen significant changes, but the harbor and buoyage info is little changed. After sailing along the DR's north coast, part of which was used for filming a portion of Jurassic Park, we found the S coast very different. Low-lying in places and with a very 'Caribbean' feel. I think they have not been as polluted by North American cruisers, too. The officials are unaccustomed to seeing much yacht traffic, were always formal but fair in our experiences, and in some cases far more curious and therefore eager to have us stay rather than behaving overly rule-bound.

Plane flights out of DR to USA: can fly out of Puerto Plata, but also could take a bus to Santo Domingo, stay overnight in a hotel, and fly out of there the next morning. Prices RT to Philadelphia in mid-2005: $450 from Santa Domingo, $720 from Puerto Plata (but I think flights to other airports didn't differ as much). Someone mentioned cheap flights out of Santiago on JetBlue.

From Scott and Minh on "Lynx" in Georgetown 5/2005:

Skip all the anchorages along the north coast of the DR. They really aren't all that pretty (except maybe for Los Haitises national park, in Samana Bay opposite Samana town). And as soon as you enter any cove or anchorage, someone will run out to demand money from you, sometimes even coming right on board without asking. And there are lots of fishermen with flashlights around you at night, which is a little disconcerting. On the north coast, Rio San Juan is a good anchorage for protection, but most of the bottom is algae over coral. Van Sant's book has a waypoint for just about the only spot of good holding in there. Conditions are rough off the north coast of DR. Some guides say it's rough only for the first 5 miles near the coast, but really it's rough for the first 15 or more miles out. [Van Sant says stay very close to coast at night during ESE wind, for lee effect.] Entering Luperon harbor: don't bother calling for a guide, just go right in (on a proper tide). Entrance is marked, just stay between the shoals. Anchor expecting strongest wind from the east. Clearing-in to the DR: don't need a crew list in Spanish. They'll want you to fill out their own form anyway. More than anywhere else in the Caribbean, avoid contact with DR officials as much as possible. They all have their hands out for money. In the DR, always get the price settled ahead of time (in restaurants, busses, stores, etc); otherwise you may get a nasty surprise: they will charge what they think they can get away with. Try to patronize only stores that post prices clearly, and tell others that they should post prices. There is not much car-traffic in the DR, so the roads are relatively safe. Rent (or buy, if staying for a while) a car or motorcycle. Guagua's (mini-busses; pronounced "gwagwa") are irritating in that they will wait for an hour or more until they are totally full, before leaving.

Idea: if staying in Luperon for months during hurricane season, consider renting a house up in the hills an hour or two away (probably need a car, too). Shouldn't be too expensive, and will get you out of the worst of the heat.

From a boat I chatted with in Mayaguana 5/2005:
They got boarded in the middle of the night in Samana and robbed; they never heard a thing. They suspect someone related to the officials who boarded them earlier that day; some of them were eyeing their valuables then. They say theft is rarely a problem in Luperon, but elsewhere, sleep with hatches locked. They also said Puerto Rico is better than the DR; they loved Puerto Rico.

From "Breath": lock down or remove everything from deck; guys will come right on board, grab something, and leave, without saying a word.

From "Reeds Almanac - Caribbean": Santo Domingo harbor is a commercial harbor; boaters may be better off 18 miles to the east at Boca Chica / Andres.

From Gordon Endler: anchorage on SE side of DR: "very good shelter at Rio Chavon; it is a very deep river in the bottom of a high valley running North South. It is very safe place; they have paddle wheel boats running up and down so not tight for room."

My experience in the DR during hurricane season 2005:

I had a horrible passage from Great Sand Cay to the DR: lots of damage to the boat, and ended up in Punta Rocia instead of Luperon. Made it to El Castillo and got stuck there for a while. Others complained of similar severe weather when crossing from T+C to DR; seems the weather forecasts are inaccurate; get E 25+ when E 10-15 is forecast. Punta Rocia: nice sheltered anchorage in the "notch" of the peninsula. El Castillo: There's not much in El Castillo. A fruit/vegetable truck comes through. Supposedly you can get gasoline locally. But by sending or riding a motorcycle to Luperon, you can get fuel or parts or whatever. Friendly local guy who speaks some English: Amably Winslow. Luperon: Navigation: Can call cruisers on VHF 68 to ask for a guide into the harbor. But it shouldn't be too difficult to feel your way in, in calm conditions and a rising tide. To get radio relay into harbor from outside, try calling "Pennywhistle" on VHF 68. There are three "fingers" to the harbor: big ones to the SE and SW, and then a small one to the W coming off the SW finger. The SE finger is empty; no boats or facilities. But probably would be good in hurricane, since it's shallow. The W finger is narrow and good for tying off to mangroves in hurricane, and is closest to the marinas. The SW finger has the government dock and the town of Luperon, and depth is 14-18 feet in most places. A couple of shoal areas marked with sticks, as shown in Van Sant sketch: one in early part of SW finger, another at SW end of SW finger. Pavlidis sketch doesn't show them very well. Hurricane season weather is very consistent: absolutely still from 7 PM to 10 AM; E or NE 20+ from 10 AM to 7 PM; often a thunderstorm at 4 PM. If a hurricane threatens the DR, expect fifty fishing boats to come into the harbor and tie off into the mangroves, probably on the SE side of the SW finger of the harbor. Some people just stay out in the middle of the harbor for hurricanes, assuming they can find some shallowish water near shoals to put anchors in. But the bottom here tends to go from shallow to deep very sharply. Clearing in (as it happened to me 6/2005): Navy boards your boat and looks through it (you can call them on VHF 16 to get them to come, or dinghy ashore and ferry them out to your boat). They don't require money, but I gave them $3 apiece and it was appreciated. Their first question was "any firearms?". The only other thing they questioned was my large pile of paper towels and toilet paper and such; they wondered if I was going to sell it. You go to Immigration at Port Authority office at concrete government dock; passport gets stamped and you get "Iupuestos Entrada" receipt; $25 (700 RD). Now you're free to walk around ashore. Agriculture-Vegetable, Agriculture-Animal/Veterinary and Tourist-Immigration has to come out to your boat. They ask about animals, fruits and vegs, milk, meat. One inspected my refrigerator. $10 to each area, for total of $30. Now you take down Quarantine flag and put up DR courtesy flag. Go to Port Authority office for harbor use paperwork ($11 for "Entrada Da Bahia" services). If not done already, go to Immigration to have tourist card stamped. Tourist-Immigration gives you only a 15-day stay; you have to go back later for an extension. Everyone says: don't go back periodically; let them figure it out when you are leaving. Some people wrote in a bigger number, and got their card stamped anyway. In 9/2005, someone said 6-month renewal costs about 500 pesoes. If you fly out of the DR and come back later, you're supposed to go to the Commandancia/Navy upon leaving and returning, to change your crew list each time, for $25 (700 RD)! Everyone says: don't do this; when you leave the DR eventually by boat, maybe they'll notice that you went out and back, and you may have to pay some money then. Also: when I flew back in to the DR, Customs didn't ask if I had anything to declare, and didn't search my luggage. So I had no problem bringing in some small boat stuff. I had all my boat-papers with me, just in case. If you have a pet aboard, there will be a Veterinary inspection every week for $10 ? In 2007, a one-week stay for 2 people cost $100 total in-and-out. Clearing out from Luperon to Puerto Rico (as it happened to me in 11/2005): Business hours are weekdays, and Saturday morning. Immigration and Navy are usually there 7 days a week, but Port Authority is not. Immigration first: 1500 pesoes ($48), for staying from 3 to 9 months. Port Authority next: 2250 pesoes ($75) for 5 months of harbor fees at $15/month. [Someone says I probably got charged $50 in there somewhere for crew-change, for flying to USA and back.] Navy/Commandancia last: tried to collect 500 pesoes ($15) for despacho, but didn't because everyone complained it is a new fee and is illegal [but they did collect the fee 6/2006 from someone, so it is in force]. Get despacho to "Puerto Rico", and then if you pull into Samana because of weather, you might not need a new despacho there. Authoritative-sounding cruisers tell me last two fees are illegal and will be going away. I'll believe it when I see it. Have to call the Commandancia on VHF 16 when leaving. Stores / provisioning: Garbage disposal: blue cinderblock enclosure on concrete government dock. Recycle by leaving jugs of oil or empty bottles on the ground outside the enclosure. Also garbage enclosure at Puerto Blanco marina. Water: free hose at dinghy dock for Puerto Blanco marina; many people treat and drink it. 6-gallon bottle of RO drinking water for 30 pesos at Puerto Blanco marina. Also a water hose at end of govt dock, but had very little pressure 6/2005. I'm told it has pressure on mornings when the electricity has been on long enough for the city water station to run their pump for a while. Internet: At cell-phone store on Independencia between central park and guagua park; 30 pesoes/hour. At Verizon store up the street from the Govt dock; about 45 pesoes/hour; MTWRFS 0800-2200, Sun 0800-1800. At Marina Luperon Yacht Club; 50 pesoes/hour; 2 or 3 PC's, and 2 Ethernet cables for laptops. At Steve's Place; 60 pesoes/hour; WiFi or 1 PC. For some reason, printing often is extremely expensive in the DR, often US$1 to US$2 per page ! Maybe pay a cruiser to do printing for you. Two bakeries (panderias): up street from Govt dock, to intersection. For one, turn right at intersection, go about 100 yards, on left, bright yellow facade. For other (better), turn left at intersection, go about 3 blocks, on left, blue building on corner. Unrefrigerated eggs: from second (better) bakery. Hardware-type store, up street from Govt dock, turn left at intersection, go about 2 blocks, turn left. Grocery store / supermercado: 1/4 mile up street from Govt dock. Two numbers marked on many items: top number is stock number, bottom is price. Second grocery store / supermercado: a couple of blocks up street from first grocery store. Fruit/veg truck comes through streets. Probably in morning ? Sometimes comes to marinas and is announced on VHF. Many "wholesale" foods (rum, beer, soda, meat, eggs, etc): from Steve's Place. Delivers to govt dock. Unavailable: fresh (non-evaporated) milk; starting fluid spray for outboard; boat parts other than most basic outboard-related and fishing-related. Fresh-baked bread: good but very expensive from Cinema Cafe. Laundry: 100 pesoes for 15 pounds at Steve's restaurant. ATM: 1/2 mile up street from Govt dock, across from police station. Pesos only, no US dollars. Works only if you have an account there ? Works for a few cruisers, but most have to take guagua to Imbert and use ATM at Texaco there. Cash from credit card: at Verizon store; 10% fee; pesos only, no US dollars. Two welding shops. Better one is the one very close to the government dock. Mechanics: ask on VHF for cruisers who can work on engines. Call Doug on "Presque Isle". Consensus: don't let any locals work on your engine; they'll mess it up. Sail-repair: a small shop (Flaco's) close to the govt dock advertises sail repair, but "Pennywhistle" knows a woman (Anita De La Cruz; 370-3555) on the south coast who does sail repair and construction. That woman comes to Luperon occasionally to pick up and deliver work. Labor rate is cheaper than USA, but materials more expensive ? Delivery often a month or more later than promised. [In late 2005, the woman had become so unreliable that the service was being discontinued.] Canvas work, flags, charts: "Pennywhistle". Winch work and parts: Judy on "Quest". Cleaning the prop before leaving, or cleaning the bottom: hire a local. Or call Doug on "Presque Isle". Services in the harbor: Call Papo on VHF 68. Delivers bottled water (40 pesos for 5 gallons in 2005), fuel, sells courtesy flags, cleans hulls. Also call Mateo at Puerto Blanco marina. Gasoline: write boat-name and fuel type on jug, take it to Puerto Blanco marina in the morning, pick it up and pay in the evening. 133 pesoes ($4.15) per gallon 10/2005; same price as premium at gas stations, but I don't know if they're giving you premium. Diesel: same deal as gasoline. In mid-October 2005, price 94 pesoes/gallon at Santiago gas stations, 104 pesoes/gallon from Puerto Blanco marina, 116 pesoes/gallon from Papo. Propane: same deal as gasoline: leave empty tank at Puerto Blanco marina. Two very small auto-parts stores. Be careful of "Payere Commerciale" battery/tire store: sold old/bad batteries and tires to cruisers. Batteries: can get Trojans in Imbert, something else in Luperon. A few stores in Imbert, but really need to go to Puerto Plata or Santiago for good shopping. Ordering parts from USA: don't do it unless you're desperate; you may have major trouble with Customs. Don't try to have marine store in Boca Chica order for you. Order yourself from USA, and have sent FedEx to Anna Lopez's store: yourname, yacht yourboat, c/o Anna Lopez, 36 Duarte St, Luperon, Puerto Plata, DR. Miscellaneous: I'm told there's little problem with theft from boats here. But lock dinghy and fuel tank after dark, especially at dinghy docks, especially at govt dock. Some people have had gas siphoned out of tanks at dinghy docks at night. In 7/2005, I had a couple of problems with local kids: one 10-year-old swimmer came up into my cockpit, and later an older teen ashore cursed and threw rocks at the boat. But this is rare here. In 8/2005, some lines and anchor stolen from a dinghy left overnight at PB Marina, and some winch handles and solar panel stolen from an anchored sailboat. In 9/2005, a couple of anchors stolen from anchored boats by cutting their rope rodes. In 10/2005, outboard stolen from Papo's boat left overnight at govt dock. In 10/2005, they started having guards at night at govt dock. In 11/2005, two guys swam out in the middle of the night and tried to cut a dinghy free from a boat. Boats who spent the 2006 hurricane season here told me there was anchor-theft and some kind of dinghy-theft too. Harbor water looks really nasty; all kinds of "filaments" in it. Jellyfish, too. Lots of cruisers here have been sick in summer 2005; some had dysentery. Some suspect the local restaurants. Cruiser's net Wed and Sun at 8 AM on VHF 68 or 72. Cruiser's radio traffic on VHF 68; marinas and restaurants too. Small flea market every Sun at 10 AM at Puerto Blanco marina. Busses: Big "Transportes Del Cibao" air-conditioned bus to Santiago, continuing to Santo Domingo, leaves every afternoon at 1:30, fare 70-80 pesoes to Santiago and a total of 150 pesoes to Santo Domingo, takes 5+ hours to Santo Domingo. On return, leaves from Santo Domingo at 8:30 AM. To get to Santo Domingo earlier in the day (without much luggage), take guagua to Imbert, bus to Santiago or Puerto Plata, bus to Santo Domingo. Guagua (car or van) to Imbert costs 35 pesos (if a car, don't get in front seat; they'll put two or three people in one bucket seat). Guagua (medium-sized bus) from Imbert to Puerto Plata costs 25 pesos. Big bus from Puerto Plata to Santo Domingo runs every hour. Marina Luperon Yacht Club: round building with thatched roof, very visible on north side of SW finger of harbor. Internet: 3 PC's, or bring your laptop and use WiFi or 10baseT Ethernet cable; 50 pesoes/hour. Puerto Blanco marina: docks west of Yacht Club. Free water hose. Places where cruisers congregate: Gina's restaurant, Steve's Place, Puerto Blanco marina, and Marina Luperon Yacht Club. Unfortunately, there is nowhere that cruisers can sit and socialize for free; all of the gathering-places are bars/restaurants and want you to keep buying. But drinks are cheap here. Small book-exchanges at: Gina's restaurant, Steve's restaurant, Puerto Blanco marina, and Marina Luperon Yacht Club. I'm told prices in Luperon are higher than in most other places in the DR, because of the cruiser presence. But that hasn't been borne out by my shopping in supermarkets in PP and Santiago. No English-language commercial radio (with any decent news). Routine medical services (such as blood-pressure check) are free at Luperon's hospital, and they do EKG's three mornings a week. "Cabin fever" sets in among cruisers spending hurricane season in Luperon; they can't wait to leave at the end of the season, and various cliques and hostilities arise. And some of the permanent-resident gringoes have various grudges going among them. So don't arrive too early at the start of the season. Imbert: Two parts: a transportation hub/crossroads, and a town. At the hub/crossroads: Two ATM's at the Texaco station; pesoes only. My calculations (from bank statement) show red ATM has no fee; it may shave the exchange rate slightly, but not more than 3%. One decent auto-parts store, a paint store, and one decent hardware store. When you come in from Luperon: road to left goes to Puerto Plata, road to right goes to Santiago, road straight ahead goes to Imbert town. In the town: A big hardware-type store, a couple of auto-type stores, a supermercado, a small medical clinic, and a dentist. A nice central square/park, to the left at the main intersection and then a block or two. Puerto Plata: A big city. Bus from Imbert stops at traffic circle ("rotonda") on Ave Jose Ginebra and leaves from bus area near there. Also continues down Ave Jose Ginebra, but does not turn and go into town. Have to walk or take motorcycle to get into town. Bus station at Beller and Dr. Zafra (near supermercado Tropical) does not have bus to Imbert. But I'm told Supermercado Tropical will give you a free car-ride to the rotonda where the busses leave from. Nice electrical/cable store 1/4 mile into town from traffic circle on Ave Jose Ginebra. Supermercado across from cable store ? Portofiltere store sells filters ? Filters, impellers: TORFILCO, 12 de Julio 68B, 586-8924. Reportedly all meat sold in Luperon comes from "Jose Luiz" supermarket here, two blocks from Ave Jose Ginebra and 27 De Febrero ? Yamaha Enduro outboards: Tony Fish, 809-224-7585 (cell), maybe also 809-970-0079, 809-261-3119. Cash only, 2-strokes only, delivers to Luperon. Abby Diesel: last rotonda, where baseball stadium is, keep going straight, see big Brugal warehouse/store on left, turn left at far corner of warehouse, go 2 blocks, Abby Diesel is on left, ask for Abby. Samana: Town harbor is not protected from ESE. Slightly deepish water, 22 feet or more. The officials have been described as "criminals". Huge problem with theft from boats. Any dinghy left floating at night will be stolen. Some have reported thieves even coming aboard in middle of night while you're sleeping. BUT: 11/2005 there is a new security patrol in the town harbor, and they are trying hard to improve Samana's reputation and have cruisers come. It appears you can stay at Cayo Levantado for a day or two for free, but when I entered the town harbor 11/2005, I had to pay $11 to the Port Authority. And the Commandancia wanted 500 pesoes for a new despacho, but we said no and got away with it. Since I was just waiting for weather to go on, I never went ashore. Port Authority came to the boat; never had any contact with Commandancia or Immigration. Skiff will deliver fuel and water to the boat. I heard that whales birth and mate in the bay in February or so. Santiago: Couldn't find city map on the internet; not a tourist destination. There is a map in 8th edition of Van Sant. Take Javilla Tours bus from Imbert to Santiago (60 pesoes). Stop in Santiago is near 30 de Marzo and Carreras. Nice walk: from bus stop down to bridge over river, then over to 30 de Marzo and up it. El Encanto supermarket and department store: on Duarte at Restauracion. Great view from tall monument at far end of Beller. Solar/wind/inverter/battery store: at corner of Carreras and Sabana Larga; call Domingo at 276-1114 or 710-8841 (cell); solar panel prices about 55% higher than best USA prices. Hose clamps and hose: Mangueras Industriales, 27 Febrero. Santo Domingo: "Transportes Del Cibao" bus terminal in Santo Domingo is just off Altagracia street, a couple of blocks N of Avenida Mexico (Van Sant has it on wrong side of Duarte Ave in 1995 edition). Address might be 112 Caracas ? Other busses back from Santo Domingo: Caribe Tours to Imbert (on the hour, 0600 to 1800); Metro to Puerto Plata (0700, 0800, 1100). Very cheap hotels right at Independence Park, on S side (but don't get a room overlooking the busy road). Even moderately-priced hotels probably have cold-water-only showers. Taxi to international airport was about 600 pesoes. Guagua back from airport to city was about 300 pesoes; go to Departure level of terminal, outside, all the way to the left end and ask. There is a bank of ATMs in the airport, downstairs near video arcade. Yamaha outboards: 809-683-0305. Tourist-type excursions in the DR: Swim in waterfalls outside Imbert. Series of 28 waterfalls; guide needed; lower 7 are easy to get to, but the rest require a stiff climb. If it has rained in the last couple of days, the water will be too strong to handle. Call Jose Tours on VHF 68, or go to Imbert and bargain for a ride and later pickup. Rosa was charging $30/person for transportation and lunch 8/2005; seems expensive, but others say it's worth it. From BigGB on SSCA discussion boards 10/2006: Be careful if you go on any of the waterfall tours as towns are upstream and the falls are NOT pristine to swim in and we had a number of friends who fell ill after their tours. Buying an outboard motor in the DR: Yamaha Enduro 2-stroke prices seem about $200 less than USA/internet prices; can't get 4-strokes. Do not try to have anything shipped into the DR from another country unless you are absolutely desperate for it. Everyone who has shipped anything in tells horror stories about Customs: spending multiple days at the Santo Domingo airport to get their stuff, paying bribes, paying full duty despite having "yacht in transit" paperwork. [If you do end up at Customs at SD airport, hire an agent as soon as you get there; their fees are shared with the Customs people as bribes, and make everything much smoother.] There once was a marine store in Luperon; they closed because even they couldn't get stuff shipped in successfully. Having someone fly in with small parts hidden in their personal luggage does work. A cruiser got salmonella, went to a GI specialist, and was told "Do not ever eat any salads in this country, EVER ! Half of the people here have salmonella." Stugeron (for seasickness) sold here seems expensive, but is sold in much larger doses than normal. Each 75 mg tablet is about 4 normal doses. See Hurricane Season in the Dominican Republic section of My Lifestyle page for a summary.

Callipygia's "Hurricane Preparedness" (with some specifics about Luperon).

From Roberto: the best way to learn Spanish is to get a Dominican girlfriend.

Heading E from DR to Puerto Rico:

See tips on luperoncruising.com This assumes some S in the wind; winter N component makes the anchorages unsafe. Don't go unless there's been some S in the wind for a while; pure E is not enough. Check out of Luperon saying you're going to Puerto Rico. If weather forces you into Samana, you might not have to get a new despacho from there. Start each segment in early evening. Don't leave each anchorage each night until the wind has stopped completely. (Unfortunately, this means navigating out of Luperon harbor in the dark.) 55 NM ESE from Luperon (W70.58) to Rio San Juan (W70.05). Pass Puerto Plata after 10 PM (but that's only about 15 sea-miles from Luperon). 45 NM ESE from Rio San Juan to El Valle / Puerto Escondido (W69.20). 55 NM from El Valle / Puerto Escondido to Punta Macao (W68.31). Arrive before sunup. Skip Samana: the officials have been described as "criminals", any dinghy left floating at night will be stolen, and going up the bay is a long detour from the main route. Possible intermediate stop: Punta Cana / Miches (W68.59). 80-100 NM from Punta Macao to Mayaguez (W67.10). Wait for forecast wind less than 15 knots. Modified from "A Gentleman's Guide to Passages South", by Bruce Van Sant: If sailing: Leave after midnight from Punta Macao. Hug the DR coast down to Cabo Engano. Get off the DR coast before the strong winds start at 8 AM or so. Sail NE across the Mona Passage during the day, staying north to avoid the storms that come W from PR around sunset. Sail NE until your next tack can clear the shoals extending off Cabo Engano to about W67.55. Then head SE during the night into the lee of PR and into Mayaguez. If motoring or motor-sailing: Leave in early evening from Punta Macao. 30 NM: Hug the DR coast down to Cabo Engano, around the cape, and down W68.17 line to Punta Cana. Leave the DR coast and motor 30 NM SE to W coast of Mona Island, arriving before the strong winds start at 8 AM or so. (Emergency anchorages on DR: close on N side of Isla Saona; marina at Punta Cana.) Spend the day in the anchorage on the west coast of Mona Island. Leave in late evening from Mona Island, heading around S side to let PR coastal storms pass to the N a bit. Motor or motor-sail 50 NM ENE into the lee of PR and into Mayaguez. Check in to Puerto Rico in Mayaguez. Expect to be boarded or at least looked-over by the USCG when crossing the Mona Passage. Stopping at Mona Island makes this less likely (according to Bruce Van Sant). See my Caribbean page for more info about the Mona Passage. What I ended up actually doing: A stretch of very calm weather, E 5-10, presented itself. So I motor-sailed (mostly motoring). Left Luperon around 4 PM. Arrived El Valle / Puerto Escondido about 8 AM, but it was terribly rolly since there was a little ENE in the wind (and it's not a good anchorage anyway). So had to claw around the peninsula (horribly rough in the middle of the day) to Samana, arriving about 6 PM at Cayo Leventado. Stayed about 36 hours in Samana, having to pay $11 port fees since I went into the harbor. Left Samana about 1 PM and motor-sailed overnight to Mayaguez, arriving about 4 PM.

A letter I sent to Caribbean Compass magazine in 4/2007, in response to a Luperon article:

I spent the 2005 hurricane season in Luperon, and talked to people from the 2006 season, so I don't claim to know everything about Luperon. Good: - A very protected harbor, best-protected in the NE Caribbean. - A very beautiful country, with green mountains and lakes. - Generally nice people. - A very Spanish-intensive experience. Bad: - Can't day-sail out of Luperon harbor and along the coast; the officials won't let you. You're only allowed to check out and go to another major port; no cruising. - The harbor is polluted, so no swimming. Probably shouldn't fish or run a watermaker also. - No cruising boatyards anywhere on the north coast. Maybe in an emergency you could rent a crane for a large amount of money. - Extremely hard to ship parts into the country; they get lost or delayed for months or you have to take a 2-day trip to the capital to ransom them out of Customs. - No marine store in Luperon (there used to be one, but they couldn't get parts into the country). - Official fees are no longer cheap: for a singlehander in 2005, it cost $240 for entry/exit and 4.5 months in harbor. Cruisers are starting to vote with their feet: I've heard the number of boats staying there is declining. The officials are nice these days, but fees are high. - Food and drink are no longer extremely cheap, as apparently they were 5 or 10 years ago. Prices are moderate. - Some theft, mostly of anchors: every season, someone comes through the harbor and cuts rope rodes on second anchors to steal the rode and anchor. - The transient cruisers are fine, but some of the permanently "stuck" boaters have formed cliques and developed grudges with each other. The bottom line: most people (myself included) come out of Luperon thinking of it as an interesting once-in-a-lifetime visit, but are glad to get out.

From Frank Virgintino 6/2008:

Re: Fees: Things have become more uniform since 2008 and Luperon is the worst offender of all of the harbors. The fee for immigration is $15 US for 60 days, and $15 for every additional 60 days. That is the case at this time. In 2005 and even currently Luperon has been known to extort beyond the normal fees. I am sure given the growth of the marine industry in the DR and the fact that the current administration is supportive of cruising yachtsmen, that all harbors either have or will come into conformity with listed charges.

From Doug on "Exuma Grouper" 9/2008:

Re: Boats in Luperon for hurricane season 2008: There are only about 40 boats with people on them. More just leave the boats and split. The crowd is way different from before when you were here [2005 hurricane season]. There are a greater percentage of deadbeats and nutbars than anything we have seen before so much so that I couldn't in all honesty recommend coming here to new boats. There is a real clique atmosphere here too. Oh well, I guess nowhere is perfect. ... [10/2008:] Last night Paula and I figured out that 12 boats have been boarded and items stolen ... that we know about and that has nothing to do with thefts from dinghies either. This is all in the past 15 months since we returned from Puerto Rico. Although we are still high into hurricane season, several boats are planning on leaving here next week as there is supposed to be a window for going east. I wonder how many new boats will bother coming back again next year. ... [1/2009:] We just had an eye-opener in the harbor, the U.S. Homeland Security requested the D. R. Commandante to make a list of all Americans, checking and noting their documents. It seems they are tracking all of their citizens out of State. Another occurrence was the Commandante has announced that no one is allowed to move their boat in the harbour unless he is notified and there will be a fine of $100 if done.

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