Living in and Sailing from the Dominican Republic

[fullafrisky]

Hello ex-pats and ex-pat wannabees. I need information and advice (opinion welcome) for living in the DR and sailing from the DR.

Are they sailor friendly and do they accept gringos living in the DR. Any information or suggestions on living there or finding a decent home outside the tourist areas would be helpful.

If you have any persons that you might recommend to help me in my pursuit, I would appreciate it.

I do not presently speak Spanish but that will change before I make the move.

I find the information on this forum to be heart felt and well intended.

[Fishspearit]

I would recommend sailing there and spending time there before deciding to make a permanent move there. Some people love it, some hate it. Considering that you don't even speak spanish yet, you may be in for a little bit of culture surprise.

[amytom]

Move to East Florida for a while and you will not only learn Spanish but also be very familiar with several different spanish cultures.

[GordMay]

Google:
< moving to Dominican Republic >
< living in Dominican Republic >
< expat Dominican Republic >

[Hud3]

Never been there myself, but I've heard exactly what Fishpearit said--you'll love it or you'll hate it. Many cruisers hang out in the anchorage at Luperon.

Here's the U.S. State Department's write-up Dominican Republic.

[GDFL]

http://www.thornlesspath.com

Bruce Van Sant lives in Luperon and has cruised for decades. He's a very nice gentleman and I'm sure he'd answer any questions you had if you email him. He even has an apartment for rent very very cheap if you want to "try before you buy" with the Dominican lifestyle.

[camaraderie]

I agree...you will either love it or hate it. We couldn't wait to get out of there as the corruption, unsanitary conditions, poverty and food situation were truly third world. Others stay there in the harbor at Luperon for years as it is cheap and easy to live there. Elsewhere in the DR it may be quite different but unless you have the cash to stay in the new marina complex at Puerto Plata...Caribbean Yachting Destination, Ocean World Marina & Casino - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic ......Luperon is the only choice on the North Shore. The one GOOD thing is the big, cheap bottles of good Presidente beer.

[harryrezz]

Just out of curiosity, why the DR??

[Hud3]

'Cuz that's where they make Presidente...

[GordMay]

Dame una fria!
(Give me a cold one)

[funsailthekeys]

My last trip to the DR was in 05', we take the south route around Haiti to Santo Domingo. The trip is fun and the people at the marina cannot do enough for you. Staying down town you do not need a car, everything is close. We made friends with a man name Louis who drove a cab in NYC for awhile. Louis would drive us anywhere for $20.00 aday. The marina was very inexpensive and the cleanest I have seen anywhere with no exceptions. We had a great time. We accept the country for what it is and not by American standards. I think that is where most people fall short. They expect everyplace to be like their little yacht club back home. Get a reality check.

[camaraderie]

Fun...that's why I specifically limited my comments to the North Shore and Luperon. An entirely different world from Santo Domingo...but the ONLY D.R. those going down the thorny path will see. We had ZERO concerns anywhere else in the entire Western Caribe but Luperon is definitely WAY different than Santo Domingo...and it isn't just marina types that hate it. The Harbor IS the sewer.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Fun...that's why I specifically limited my comments to the North Shore and Luperon. An entirely different world from Santo Domingo...but the ONLY D.R. those going down the thorny path will see. We had ZERO concerns anywhere else in the entire Western Caribe but Luperon is definitely WAY different than Santo Domingo...and it isn't just marina types that hate it. The Harbor IS the sewer.

Every harbor near a town in every third world country is the sewer. The fact that this is a third world country is telling in that conditions, events, and cultures are not what is to be found in places like the US. We hear this from time to time about Luperon and other places we visit and places we like. We also hear at about an unofficial 10 to 1 from cruisers that absolutely love it. we stopped for a few days and stayed for weeks. No we did not swim in the water. There are large parts of the Chesapeake Bay that have dead zones and we will not swim in. Often we wonder why some folks ever leave Ft. Lauderdale. We have a few cruiser friends that stopped in to Luperon to visit, bought property and now live there full time.

[funsailthekeys]

I forgot to mention earlier that Samana is a nice place to stay. Samana is on the NE part of the DR, not too far from Luperon. They have whale watching in the spring and great beaches are close by. The area between Samana and Punta Cana is really nice. Hope things work out.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by funsailthekeys

I forgot to mention earlier that Samana is a nice place to stay. Samana is on the NE part of the DR, not too far from Luperon. They have whale watching in the spring and great beaches are close by. The area between Samana and Punta Cana is really nice. Hope things work out.

Samana is indeed a very nice stop. Things change rapidly in the Caribbean so don't know what the current security conditions are there but at the time we were in Luperon there was a LOT of theft going on there.