Crossing The Mona

February 10 - 12, 2014

The grocery store sent a driver to the marina to
take us into town.  He gave us a quick tour
of Puerto Plata.  A narrow side street and small
businesses.

We were in the Dominican Republic for less that 24 hours.  After waiting 18 days, for a weather window that would allow us to travel from the Turks and Caicos to the Dominican Republic we learned a valuable lesson.  When the water and weather are good at the same time --- MOVE!  Or, be prepared to enjoy where you are for an indefinite time.  Everything looked good on the 10th.  It was time to travel from Puerto Plata, Dominican

 One of several city parks.

Republic to San Juan, Puerto Rico.  That included crossing the dreaded Mona Passage an unpredictable body of water that can be treacherous.  The Mona has currents running through it from different sources.  The currents and wind can make the crossing a challenge.  And, to make it even more interesting we would be doing it in the dark.

  

The driver was very kind to stop at the Amber
Museum so we could take a quick look.
Amber is fossilized tree resin from a tree variety
that no longer exists.  Because the resin was
soft and sticky it often has plant and animal
inclusions. This piece has small lizard in it.
Leaving the museum, Brian was handed a
large piece of raw amber.  Setting it back on
the table he dropped it and it shattered!  The
guide kept telling him don't worry.  Still,we
made a quick exit!

Ocean World Marina is part of a large resort with
a casino and Sea World type show.    

Good-bye to the Dominican Republic.

Catabatic winds come from the Dominican Republic's land mass in the evening as it cools.  The winds knock down the waves through the night.  For that reason most guide books recommend traveling the Dominican coast at night.  The guide books were right!  We left Puerto Plata at 3:00 PM and were immediately in uncomfortable conditions.  As the night progressed, the water flattened. The second day was delightful.  We were able to relax and read as we

Entering the fortified San Juan Bay.

chugged along.  Night two and day three were comfortable, but bouncy.  Brian and I took turns sleeping one to two hours through the nights. This confirmed that we could do longer trips, when necessary.  It was much easier than I had anticipated thanks to modern technology: radar, chart plotter, depth sounder and auto pilot.  47.5 hours after we left Puerto Plata we were at the San Juan Bay Marina.  Another major milestone in this trip was complete!

                                                                 Gotta smile -- we're loving the ride!