Safety at Dominican Republic for Sail yachts and anchoring

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - my destination, my headache.

Firstly, currently in Puerto Rica (PR) at Palmas del Mar. Our visas expires 20 Nov 2019. Awesome marina. Super quiet. Felt we had the place to ourselves. Nice suburb and lucky enough to made friends with Joe and Awilda , contractors to the boat yard. Amazing people.

Now: My wife and I needs to go to Dominican Republic (DR) to renew there our USA visitors visa.

Currently, our PR friends advises against going to DR, almost against any price.
Many bureaucracy and fraud and bribes, especially (apparently) against private boat owners.

Any updates on taking the south route in DR (Santo Dominico), being there with a sail yacht, and bureaucracy and their bribes? Even talks off boat confiscating etc.
Any news of late, recommendations on anchorages at Casa de Campo , or Bocha Chico nearer to the Capital?

May have to wait some 2 weeks in the vicinity to obtain outcome of our visas renewal applications.
Thus marimas less of an attraction.

Should leave for DR from PR 20 Nov'19. Have a few days at sea to finalise any strategies.

[Jebtrois]

Take a look at noonsite.com in the cruisers comments at the bottom of the DR page it appears that there were some issues noted with asking for extra "fees," particularly in Luperon. Note that these are related to a particular Port authority figure there. Basically it looks like a mixed bag, but none of these reports mention safety issues.

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Thank you, saw that too.
Received so many conflicting stories, from other sailors and including residents. All say "Third World", "Bureaucracy", bribes, suicidal road users, etc. Others say close guarded marinas who is totally against foreign visitors. Casa De Campo Marina is South (where I need to pass on our way to Santo Domingo, is Ultra Luxurious private marina who will accept no Anchoring etc. Anchoring seems very limited on the South and if Marinas won't allow you in for Anchoring, creates a problem even before I can deal (or not deal) with the bribes issue.

I have country fellow men living in DR who denies such claims, but then they are not there on a boat. (Another passport holder told me it is a great place, nice people, love visitors and groups, but hates individual boat owners. Even talks of boats being confiscated and only returned months later.

My visa application will take about 2 weeks, so I require Anchoring in safe areas.

[PBM]

If you are on FB then join the Dominican Republic cruisers FB group and you can ask the officials direct re stories about crime etc.

[huramentzefix]

Let me answer to this even though I think my answer is past the expiry date of your enquiry.


There is a marina right in santo domingo for small boats. I have been there a couple of times. The water is not nice there but it is a very good location to visit the historic town "zona colonial". you can just walk across the bridge and you are there. The taxi ride to the US embassy should be around 400 pesos.

"Marina Bartolomé Colón" I belive it is called. The entry is also for an international port for container ships and cruise ships ships so you won't have a problem calling the authorities.


I recommend this marina for anyone who wants to visit santo domingo colonial zone or needs to stop for spares.
The avenida St. Martin has the ferreteria americana and lots of other hardware stores. a taxi ride should be around 300 pesos one way.


there are a lot of malls and hughe grocery stores in the 27 de febrero.


If you want to stay for cheap and not in a marina I would pick boca de yuma and tie her up to the rocks in the river there.
Negotiate with the marina de guerra, el comandante and offer about 150-200 pesos per day for your stay in the river.
buy fish from the local fishermen, visit the restaurants, ask them for fuel and water and you will have a good time there.
It's a very nice remote village with nice people.


that's the river, I have no information on the draft but saw a sailboat in there before.



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