We now both understand why the Mona Passage has the reputation that it does! Even though we made our passage in relatively mild conditions, it was a challenging exercise. We left Puerto Bahia at about 8:30 am and had a pleasant day as we worked our way toward the actual passage. Of course, by the time we actually moved into the passage, it was dark. And things always seem scarier in the dark. Thank goodness, we had a nearly full moon which helped see the sea conditions. Before I go to far, let me make it clear that we were never in any physical danger. The boat performed exceedingly well. It was just a question of being a bit uncomfortable with big rolling seas which seemed to change direction every half hour. But, we knew both ... read more

A few words about the Dominican Republic: Though certainly better off than its Hispaniola neighber, Haiti, the DR is still a very impoverished place. We are safely in a slip at the Puerto Bahia which is a multimillion dollar development of marina, condos, golf course, etc. It is one of the most elegant properties that either of us has seen. Yet, just outside the secured gates of the property, as is typical in developing countries, is the most abject poverty that you would ever see. Not that the people are unhappy. They just get on with their lives day to day in conditions most of us could not imagine. Terry and I thought it would be interesting to visit a nearby national park which is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. ... read more

It has been difficult to update the blog due to either nasty or no internet connectivity or being too busy with boat stuff to find the time. Just to bring things up to date: We left Provo Wednesday morning 01/12/11 for a very peaceful passage across the TCI banks and then the TCI passage to Big Sand Cay which is a staging point to cross to the DR. Left Big Sand at 0300 Thursday morning and crossed to Water World marina on the north coast of the DR. This is a big development with a marina, hotel, condos, water park and a casino. A big garish but interesting place. The passage could not have gone better. Everyone in the marina was helpful and friendly. We met Bob and Irene from Toronto who are cruising and had ... read more

We have had a cold front from the mainland chasing use since we left Miami. Our strategy has been to get as far south and west as possible as it slowly disapates. Well, Thursday night it caught up with us! Winds had been from the west and southwest and relatively mild. The front was forecast to only make it to about 24 deg latitude. But, (wisely) anticipating that the forecast could be wrong, Terry found us a small, isolated anchorage which we expected to protect us as the winds shifted around from west to northwest. It is called Fowl Cay but perhaps should be renamed Foul Cay! We were settled in well before sundown and all was well until about 2:30am. Winds started to shift, boat started to swing getting closer to some shoal areas. Lightning, ... read more

Writing a travel blog is a new experiment for me so please bear with me. I arrived at Eagles Nest in Coconut Grove Marina about 3:00pm on Sunday. In order to get an early start on Monday, Terry has decided to move the boat out to Key Biscayne. So I unpacked, we cast off and left the slip with barely a bon voyage! Found a good place to anchor off Biscayne and settled in to getting familiar with the boat. She is in great shape and looks very seaworthy. We awoke before dawn, hauled anchor and headed East. The Gulf Stream can be a challenge under the wrong conditions (high northerly winds, big seas). But, the weather gods blessed us with almost perfect conditions. It is about 35 miles across and we barely felt a ripple ... read more