Luperon: too good to be true??

[salty_dog_68]

I am working through my long term cruising plan and considering where to hole up for hurricane season '18. The plan is to spend the first season in the Bahamas/Turks (Nov-May) and then hole up somewhere for hurricane season. I am trying to decide between returning to the states and taking shelter along the St. Johns River(Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Palatka, etc) or sailing south to Luperon, D.R.. I have been reading up on Luperon and it just sounds to good to be true. Excellent protection from wind and surge, cheap wet slips, cheap beer, opportunity to explore the island, etc. So, I am wondering what is the caveat? Are they just going to let me sail in and get a slip for six months...no problema?? Or...will I have to pay a $350 cruising fee/permit(Bahamas)...a tarrif equal to 12% of the value of the boat(Cayman)?? What is the "red tape"?

[salty_dog_68]

Can I get a work visa if I am a nurse or a teacher??

[hpeer]

Ah, similar questions here for 2017, except that work thing! Yuck!

[SV.Maverick]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Ah, similar questions here for 2017, except that work thing! Yuck!

Lol I 2nd the Yuck thing,, I'm same time frame for 2018.

[Jsta_Rebel]

Originally Posted by salty_dog_68

I am working through my long term cruising plan and considering where to hole up for hurricane season '18. The plan is to spend the first season in the Bahamas/Turks (Nov-May) and then hole up somewhere for hurricane season. I am trying to decide between returning to the states and taking shelter along the St. Johns River(Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Palatka, etc) or sailing south to Luperon, D.R.. I have been reading up on Luperon and it just sounds to good to be true. Excellent protection from wind and surge, cheap wet slips, cheap beer, opportunity to explore the island, etc. So, I am wondering what is the caveat? Are they just going to let me sail in and get a slip for six months...no problema?? Or...will I have to pay a $350 cruising fee/permit(Bahamas)...a tarrif equal to 12% of the value of the boat(Cayman)?? What is the "red tape"?

Luperon is a great Hurricane hole. BUT, The DR is a very poor country as well as a third world nation. I've sat out a cane in Luperon, but I certainly wouldn't leave my boat there six months or so unattended. You're very likely to come back to a hull and nothing else. Now since you're going to be in TCI, Providenciales or specifically Turtle Cove ( Selars Pond) is also an excellent hurricane hole (I sat out Ike there). I'm sure it wouldn't be as cheap as the DR though. BTW, the DR is my favorite Island. My wife is Dominicana and we have a home in Puerto Plata. We moor our boat in a small bay outside of Costumbar. You ask a question about staying there and getting a work permit (if you don't mine being paid less than US minimum wage in pesos). Yes it can be done, and there are many expats on the north coast of the DR. If you are staying there, then your choice for Luperon would be completely different and I'd say you bet and there are no cruising permits, or a lot of red tape unless you're looking for residency.. Check out Dominican Republic News & Travel Information Service.

Hope this helps

[steamgoat]

This family thoroughly enjoyed Luperon, see this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSBbV7nZH4M

and the next 3 episodes for a DR tour.
ps,I'm taking notes as its on my bucket list.

[salty_dog_68]

@JSTA_REBEL Thank you very much for the response. Yes, if we decide to use Luperon to hole up for hurricane season we would stay on the boat (hopefully in a wet slip with electricity). I would like to get a work visa and work part-time in the local hospital. I am not really concerned about what they would be able to pay me. If it just covered the monthly slip fees that would be great! Thanks again!

[pete33458]

My personal experience was that a slip in Luperon was little more than a place where you could step off the boat and be on land. No services whatsoever, especially not electricity. It does look like it would be an incredible good hurricane hole, though.

Pete

[Cheechako]

I was in Luperon for 6 weeks and enjoyed it a lot. Yes the bay is mostly sewage. Yes you will be approached by young couples dressed like morman missionaries in town in the am; he's selling his girlfriends services. You will have probably two 5 gallon buckets of large barnacles on your bottom and chain after 6 weeks at anchor. Plan on two days scraping to get it off. If you can get past that type of thing the DR is fun place.

[SVNeko]

what slips?

[pete33458]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

what slips?

I was being generous with my description! But at least there are things in Luperon that are physically similar to a slip, albeit without services. Pete

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by salty_dog_68

I am working through my long term cruising plan and considering where to hole up for hurricane season '18. The plan is to spend the first season in the Bahamas/Turks (Nov-May) and then hole up somewhere for hurricane season. I am trying to decide between returning to the states and taking shelter along the St. Johns River(Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Palatka, etc) or sailing south to Luperon, D.R.. I have been reading up on Luperon and it just sounds to good to be true. Excellent protection from wind and surge, cheap wet slips, cheap beer, opportunity to explore the island, etc. So, I am wondering what is the caveat? Are they just going to let me sail in and get a slip for six months...no problema?? Or...will I have to pay a $350 cruising fee/permit(Bahamas)...a tarrif equal to 12% of the value of the boat(Cayman)?? What is the "red tape"?

Crime is one downside. Impossible to prevent. Loss of life might be another downer.

[phorvati]

Best hurricane hole. But its not for everyone. If you need a US-type high maintenance dock, go to Ocean world in puerto plata. My assumption is that you know how to anchor the boat and keep it from moving. I've left my boat there for 6 months essentially unattended but with cruiser friends occasionally checking on it. It was tied to mangroves. Besides some mold in the cabin everything was good. One cat 2 tracked near but the tall mountains of Hispaniola knock stuff down better than anywhere else in the Caribbean or east coast of US.

[RafaCavi]

In May I was in Luperon looking for a sailboat. Luperon is mangrove and an excellent hurricane hole but I had noticed that there are thieves entering abandoned boats. Luperon is a little little town with few services. There is a community with some sailmen from different parts of the world. Is about 4 hrs by car from Santo Domingo. There are few pontoons. Most of boats are mooring in the bay.

[salty_dog_68]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I was in Luperon for 6 weeks and enjoyed it a lot. Yes the bay is mostly sewage. Yes you will be approached by young couples dressed like morman missionaries in town in the am; he's selling his girlfriends services. You will have probably two 5 gallon buckets of large barnacles on your bottom and chain after 6 weeks at anchor. Plan on two days scraping to get it off. If you can get past that type of thing the DR is fun place.

I presume that when I do clean the hull...I should move the boat out of the harbor first?? Diving in "mostly sewage" does not sound very fun.