167. The Dominican Republic

Bahia de las Aguilas

I made it to The Dominican Republic, and Bahia de las Aguilas, a beautiful deserted stretch of coastline. After a massive 48-hour marathon sail from Ile a Vache, I’d got more fishing wire around my propeller, which this time has damaged my prop shaft seal, now leaking seawater into the boat. It needs tightening, probably re packing. I will attempt that at the marina in Boca Chica.

As I left for Barahona, I saw small dolphins off the bow. Everything felt good, but that was a feeling that wouldn’t last long. The wind dropped after I made it through the Beata channel so it took me all night to get to Barahona. And I wasn’t happy when I got there, actually a real low point. So far I’d broken a winch, blown out my mainsail, I’ve got water leaking in and fuel leaking out. I’d run out of water so I was hungry and thirsty. Barahona is a commercial port – filthy and fly infested. The sea was full of garbage – floating plastic bottles everywhere, trying to dodge them all, because some were fishing floats. I anchored in the wrong place, the navy told me to move around the corner to a small bay, where I saw a dead dog float by.

Anchored in Barahona (sugar factory behind)

At least my pet gecko was happy; I found him sitting on my hatch mosquito net probably feasting on all the flies. The day before in some very bad waves, it was so funny, he came crawling out of the cabin into the cockpit looking very seasick, creeping very slowly, looked at me as if to say what the hell, and disappeared into a towel – a good place to hide.

Millions of plastic bottles washed up along the shore at Barahona

Next was the prospect of clearing in, I had to ferry four officials (customs, immigration, navy and intelligence) one by one to my boat (and give them all a beer). They just took photos of my passport and papers with their phones; all I had to do was sign. Because I didn’t have to use an agent, clearing in only cost me $90 (plus a $10 tip and my last three beers), instead of the $250 it would have cost me elsewhere.