April 2014 Blog Posts (6)

For anyone wanting reference books on understanding marine weather and storm tactics at sea Steve Dashew has generously made his two volumes on these two subjects available in PDF format, for free to all mariners. The books, Mariner's Weather Handbook,and Surviving The Storm can be downloaded at the following link. Scroll to the bottom of the written article to the book icons and the download links to obtain these valuable references. Thanks, Steve!…

Continue

Only in the Dominican Republic have I experienced the challenge of driving in an easterly direction on the shoulder of the west bound lane. This occurs where Highway #5 from Semana merges with Hwy #3 to Punta Cana.

NOTE: Van on the left was traveling east,…

Continue

It was an adventurous, albeit cultural experience as my friend Linda Rincones and I drove from Punta Cana to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Initially we traveled west toward Boca Chico where we approached our first fork in the road. Confidentially we chose the wrong prong. After a ten kilometer cruise we took a gander through a neighborhood which luckily led us back to the correct prong. A few hours later we approached three more forks. We took each one in stride appreciating our… Continue

Hola,Who was the first to coin the phrase, "It's not the place, it's the people?"  i don't know.  maybe  someone will take the time to research the author.  not me, not today, Afterall i am surrounded by a wonderful  family of brothers, their  wives and my best friend while embracing this province.

A caveat of being questioned or receiving an inquiry in Sea Knots is the resulting inspiration. This morning Lola asked if I am sailing alone. A few days ago a girl from my home base, sent an intriguing message via email. Such communication is received with approbation. Venturing far from family and friends has been a daunting experience. Throughout my teenage years until after I retired from the workforce believing people like me has been difficult. The overwhelming calls, texts and e-mails…

Continue

Nestled on the north coast of the Dominica Republic is a hurricane hole housing over a 100 cruisers from a variety of home ports. Entering the harbor brought about a question of confidence. As I neared the mile invisible border outside the entrance to the port my GPS showed a disarming note: BREAKERS IN A BIG SWELL. Gritting my teeth I wondered what was considered a big swell. My estimate was the average wave was about 4 feet. Two rogue waves slapped me in the face as they forged their way… Continue