North Coast Dominica

[SAMPATICO]

Going East from Samana to Luperon in June. frank V says no place to anchor forl
O night in between. Was wondering about Sosua or Rio Juan ?

[FSMike]

I assume you mean the Dominican Republic rather than Dominica.
I recommend that you pick up a copy of Bruce VanSant's Gentleman's Guide to To Passages South aka The Thornless Path. There are lots of places where it is physically possible to anchor along the north shore of the DR but the DR government says it's illegal.

[Wolfy]

It should be an easy day sail from Samana to Luperon, just leave nice and early in the morning and you'll be there before dark.
As you exit Samana to head NW, give those vertical cliff faces a wide berth as the return swells can throw you around unexpectedly...
Ocean World Marina in Puerto Plata is a nice place to stop over for a night if you wanted to, Casino, nice restaurant ....say high to Roberto for me if you do.......
Have fun......

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Wolfy

It should be an easy day sail from Samana to Luperon, just leave nice and early in the morning and you'll be there before dark.
As you exit Samana to head NW, give those vertical cliff faces a wide berth as the return swells can throw you around unexpectedly...
Ocean World Marina in Puerto Plata is a nice place to stop over for a night if you wanted to, Casino, nice restaurant ....say high to Roberto for me if you do.......
Have fun......

Hmmm.... seems we left Luperon in a 42 ft cat at about 6pm and didnt make Samana until just after dark the next day. So... call it 24 hours....and over half that is down wind... ? have I got this screwed up?

[keepondancin]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Hmmm.... seems we left Luperon in a 42 ft cat at about 6pm and didnt make Samana until just after dark the next day. So... call it 24 hours....and over half that is down wind... ? have I got this screwed up?

You may have it screwed up, or were really lucky that day. Samana is east and around the corner at the entrance to the Mona Passage. It is usually a beat along the north coast.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by keepondancin

You may have it screwed up, or were really lucky that day. Samana is east and around the corner at the entrance to the Mona Passage. It is usually a beat along the north coast.

My notes say 130 miles, 25 hours. Beating or Close reach along the north shore. Once we turned the corner at the east end more downwind. Calm and flat heading along the southern shore (bahia samana) into Samana. Took alot longer that last stretch than we thought it would. If you can make 130 miles daysailing into the wind you're a better man than me!

[Wolfy]

OOOps....my bad
I was just talking about the sailing time to Puerto Plata from Samana and not to Luperon, we were scooting along averaging 9 -10 knots, we left at first light and got to POP (Ocean World Marina) just before dusk.....see what happens when you get old.....you tend to forg....

[keepondancin]

Going east you pay your dues. Going west you get your rewards.

[Wolfy]

Huge, massive, enormous, gigantic difference in time running East with regards to West along the DR northern coast........

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Wolfy

OOOps....my bad
I was just talking about the sailing time to Puerto Plata from Samana and not to Luperon, we were scooting along averaging 9 -10 knots, we left at first light and got to POP (Ocean World Marina) just before dusk.....see what happens when you get old.....you tend to forg....

hah! Been there done that had me worried though!

[JTHAW]

in 1979 February... we left Puerto Plata just before dark and did an all nighter to arrive in Samana mid dayish...hugged the north coast of DR in the calmer trades at nighttime...with my 15 hp yanmar and semi lightweight IOR 35 morgan CB classic sloop...no way I would do that in daytime trade winds to windward....very doable at night...no casinos, no marinas, no touristas in P.Plata then...just big giant old wooden docks...very raw back then...but we loved it...Luperon was nothing at all for sailors at the time...the big thing in P Plata was to tour the rum factory...hahahah...Samana was a complete backwater.. Lovely....we stayed at the old town concrete seawall...the only sailboat tied up..a few were anchor'd out......we awoke at 7 am to 15 or so 4-8 yr old cute kids...just wide eyed and ogling our baby blue deck...when we left after 1 week to cross the mona passage (gulp)...it was flat calm and sunny , early a.m...we were motoring east out of big Samana bay ..suddenly a huge humpback whale,... 50 foot long, shot straight up out of the crystal clear blue water...about 50 yards off our bow...jet black and snow white in the early morning light...incredible...we had watched the humpback whales breach all week from the mountain where we stayed with a newfound local friend who's great grandfather was the El Presidente,... Duarte...we slept in his beautiful big wooden treehouse atop the mountain outside of town..and ate soursop...yummmm and other natural growing fruits all over the place....awesome...
the overnight passage to Mayaguez PR was a bitch to windward against the 1 knot current...that's why they call it the Moan a passage...