triple crossing

From Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos to the DR, one has to cross successively the Caicos Bank, the Columbus passage (also known as the Turks Passage), and then the Mouchoir Passage between the Turks Bank and Hispaniola. We depart from Provo on December 23rd...and mechanical issues start to impede on our progress, first the engine then the hydraulics force us to make a stopover in West Caicos for repairs. The weather window to make progress to windward is not ideal, but we depart on December 28 to cross the Columbus passage and stage ourselves for the more critical crossing to the DR at Big Sand Cay, a lovely uninhabited island, the southernmost of the Turks cays. We take a leisurely swim. We depart after dusk, expecting mild winds and seas for the 82 miles to our destination in the DR...what we find is a very disorganized ocean with steep waves coming at us from all points ahead, making for a "rock and roll" ride, more like spending 15 hours inside a washing machine; very unpleasant ride and slow progress. As we near Hispaniola the trade winds pick up and we are forced to divert downwind and we make our landing at Luberon around noon, exhausted and frayed. The entry procedures in the Dominican Republic must have borrowed heavily from the worst of french bureaucracy, because we are soon buried in paperwork, with physical inspection of the boat by the "marine de guerra" commendante at arrival and departure!! The next day we make the short ride under engine power to the original point if destination, the Ocean World Marina, near Puerto Plata. We go through the procedures again!!! But the marina is an oasis of comfort for the crew of Bon Vent, minus Guillaume who leaves us to return by plane to Canada. Our next destination is 100 miles east, hugging the coastline to get maximum benefits from the leeward nightime effects in moderating the trade winds.

getting ready to sail to the Dominican Republic

The crew has arrived (Guillaume, Guy and Elizabeth on the photo), the boat has been made ready, the weather window is opening up, so we are getting ready to cast off in the morning tomorrow. We will cross the Caicos bank, anchor at Six Hills Cay on the edge of the Turks Passage, cross to the Turks bank and stage our crossing of the Mouchoir Passage from Great Sands Cay, the southernmost of the Turks and Caicos islands, uninhabited and supposedly quite lovely. Our destination is 82 nautical miles south in Luberon in the DR (Dominican Republic), from where we will weave our way eastward towards Porto Rico by hugging the northern coast and "playing the lee" of Hispaniola, the second largest island, and the highest in the Carribean sea. The trade winds are a bummer at this time of the year for anyone trying to reach the Leeward islands from the Bahamas, as we are finding out. Our goal is to toast the New Year in Porto Rico. The first mate will be a boat widow for a little while until she rejoins Bon Vent in St Thomas, Virgin Islands on January 13. Happy New Year all from the crew of Bon Vent.

Bon Vent is ready for new adventures

It has been a long time since our last entry. As a former british prime minister once said about the derailment of the best laid political plans: events, dear boy, events; in our case pressing family matters that had to be attended as a result of illness among elderly parents, and associated issues of hospitalization, placement, and fiduciary matters over the summer and fall. As a result Bon Vent was hauled out at the Caicos Marina and Shipyard, and secured the best we could in preparation for the hurricane season. A few weeks later Irene whipped the islands with 120 miles winds, but the boat apparently came through unscathed. We shall see about that in a few days when the captain returns to the islands, and takes the necessary steps to make Bon Vent ocean going ready. So of we go again, ready to resume our navigation, with a first destination in the Virgin Islands sometime in early january. The captain will be joined by crew for the first leg along Hispaniola and Porto Rico, and the first mate will rejoin the cruise in St Thomas in mid january. From there we propose to point the bow in the direction of the leeward and windward islands, final destination Grenada, the Spice island sometime in April, via St Marteen, Antigua, les Saintes, Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines. Let's hope "events" don't derail our plans again.