“Cruisin With Dusty”

We got to the Dominican Republic three days ago ,it is a beautiful and very lush place .We have already met a lot of people and I know made some new friends .Here they come out to your boat and you clear customs before you go ashore .For some reason the translater who came out to help clear us into the Country ,always takes time to speak to us where ever we are and what ever he’s doing .The D. R. is totality Spanish speaking and very few speak english .We have already met a couple of girls and when we are in a restaurant or some where ,the translater who we’ve found out is the Comendante’s right hand man ,will sit and translate for us ,long enough to get us by for awhile .Other than that it’s hand signals and a duel written menu .It’s easy to see that both of the girls are scared of him .I guess it’s because he is a man who carries a lot of power and a side arm .The only gun I’ve seen sense we’ve been in the Islands .I know he is in the navy and was sent here because of the up rising in Hatti .This little town (Luperon) is very near the border .I think he’s a great guy ,last night he carried us to a place called Car wash .It’s where ladies of the night hang out .They are very at ease with that sort of thing here .Right now the currency exchange rate is 43 pasos to the dollar ,but that changes on a daily basis down here . Calvin and I went to a nice place and got a meal .We had coffee ,fried chicken ,french fries ,tossed salad ,and I also had a coke on ice .The total price for both of us was 230 pasos or about 6.25 .Things are so cheap here you can’t believe it ,and it’s safe to walk the streets at 3:00 AM with a buzz on .Some of the Americans we have met ,hang out in the marina bar .They sit and give us ideas on how to make a living here and try to talk us into staying .I know we won’t stay but I will definitely be back .We met the wife of Bruce Van Sant ,author of  The Gentleman’s Guide to Passages South ,and other guides .I have enjoyed myself so far ,and find myself laughing alot ,Calvin too .Maybe that is why people like us ,and seem to be comfortable around us .We seem to draw people to us where ever we go .It was like that in George Town too ,where we spent Christmas on the beach with other cruisers ,eating turkey and home made dishes from around the World .Cruisers come from all walks of life ,some rich ,some not .You see them all down here ,it’s a wonderful thing .

              It’s about 9:30 in the morning ,and we’re sailing across the South banks of the Cacos .I’m steering with my foot as I write .There is nothing but water all around us ,yet the water depth is only 10 ft. deep .The night before last we did an over nighter. About 10 or 11:00 PM I was at the helm and looked up and saw a rain bow coming from the moon .It was not a halo around the moon ,but rather a rain bow caused by the full moon .I called Calvin on deck and he saw it .I talked to other cruisers and they had never even heard of such a thing .So I decided to call it ,what else a moon bow.

We picked up another boat while in the Turks ,an older couple in their late 60’s or early 70’s .He is German and she is Swiss ,great people to be around ,full of joy.As soon as we get across the South banks ,we’ll have to do another over nighter to get into the Dominican Republic .Calvin has caught two big fish already this morning ,he’s getting better at fishing .

They told me my space was reserved by a sport fishing boat and would have to leave when they got here .I decided  to go on and move out on anchor ,John said he was going out with us .I think Joe got drunk about every night and messed with him when we weren’t around .I know I’d like to hand him his head ,but we are in another Country and I don’t need any trouble .So we took the dink and picked up John and Millie ,we took them to this little island .We walked up and down the beach ,found some coconut trees ,gathered some coconuts and snorkeled the reefs .I think everybody enjoyed them selves . We caught some weather on the radio ,said the wind would be out of the North to Northeast tomorrow .We’ll go to town one more time and pick up a few things ,when we leave here we’ll have an over nighter .When there is not enough hours in the day to reach an anchoring spot while it is still day light , you go during the night so you can reach anchor the next day in the light .

Well Joe came walking up on the dock this morning ,got on his boat and left .I talked to his friend later that morning ,and he was invited to go as well.He said he got up at 5:00 ,got ready and waited but Joe never came by to get him .When he came back from fishing ,he went straight to his room with out saying anything to anybody .Later that afternoon we were sitting on the front porch having a drink ,when he came down ,went straight into the TV room and started cussing and demanding that he was going to watch football .We didn’t know it at the time ,but it was John ,the old retired guy that Joe was yelling at .He’s not as great a guy as I thought he was .We rented a car today and rode to the old salt mines to explore .The mines ,it turns out were a number of very shallow ponds which they filled with ocean water .Then they wait for the water to evaporate ,and then collect the salt ,rake and shovel I guess .There was also an old tug boat washed way up on land ,how it got there ,was beyond me .The name of the tug was Carmen .We also went and snorkeled ,what the locals called “The big blue hole”.A 600 ft deep hole and about 20 yards across , with high coral ridges around it .Around the edge of the hole were fish, large and small alike ,just hangin’ out .The coral ridges around the blue hole had small caves through out .I was able to reach only one of them ,but some one had been there and built a fire ,possibly camping .We also went to a place called Little Harbor ,and a place on the West side of the Island ,where the waves come crashing over coral reefs sticking out of the ocean 6 to 8 ft high ,with no beach .These reefs were as far as we could see until they curved out of site around the island .All in all it was a good day,we had lunch at a small resort we found off by its self ,on the other side of the  island .In the Bahamas you have to drive on the left side of the road , a little detail John kept forgetting .

We were headed for Rum Cay ,but when we got within 12 to 15 miles ,John came over the radio and said he was getting pretty beat up over there ,lets turn South and go to Strachan Cay on the Southeastern side of Long Island .Well sense the wind was coming out of the East ,that means that Defiance would sprout wings and fly to Strachen Cay, so we were game. We left the reef in the main sail and let the jib out all the way.We did 7 to 8 knots all the way there .Oh and by the way Goombay smash is made with coconut rum ,pineapple juice ,orange juice ,apricot brandy ,and lime .We got into Clarence town and anchored about dark .This morning we came in and got a slip at the dock .The cost is 1.00 a ft but they have Hot Showers ,something we haven’t had in about a month .We have been taking Bahama baths ,washing in the ocean with joy dish washing liquid ,and then rinsing the salt water off with a bottle of fresh water .We met a guy at the bar/store/cafe tonight that said Joe Rilley from the band 38 Special was here with his boat .Well while we were standing there talking ,Joe comes walking up and we started talking .He loves fishing and said he got interested when he went out on a sport fishing boat in Charleston ,S.C. 8 yrs ago .He has a real nice boat with rods and reels that must have cost a bundle .He was a nice guy and invited us to go out with him the next morning .He was real drunk though ,so we’ll see what happens tomorrow .

We left Foul Cay at 7:00 am this morning ,we made it as far as Long Island ,only 20 miles away.We found a pretty little cove they call Calabash .John and Millie invited us over to eat chili ,and we took rum and had a great evening ,in the middle of nowhere .I’ll tell you ,the ocean around the Bahama islands is the most beautiful water I’ve ever seen ,and I think it definitely compares  with the Rockies ,which I’ve seen on horse back ,by my self .                                                                             Defiance didn’t make very good time today,the wind was blowing too hard to run full sails .We reefed the main and the jib .It was the first time we’ve had to sail under reefed sails .The wind should be down some tomorrow ,and we’ll try tacking under full sails .I guess our New Years Eve fireworks will be a sky full of stars and the waves crashing on the beach .Could it get any better .

              We had Christmas on Hamburger beach ,and it was all good .All the cruisers came and brought something .Everyone pitched in and bought a couple of turkeys .I made what Mama calls a cherry cheese pie and a steamer of rice .The pie was a big hit ,but nobody ate the rice .The mistake I made was every dish has to stand alone ,well you can’t win them all .Everyone had a good time ,I noticed that they liked hearing my stories of traveling through the Rocky Mountains on horse back .The rebuild kit never came in ,Don’t go cruising unprepared .We took O rings that we found at the hardware store ,and fellow cruisers ,and still didn’t have enough .So we even took one of the rings from the cylinder its self and turned it around ,and it worked ,no leaks .We took Defiance to town and took on 37 gal of diesel fuel ,212 gal of water ,I can carry 332 gal ,and 5.6 gal of gas .Jim said he will leave his boat in Fla. and fly back to Las Vegas .When we parted company ,Jim shook hands with Calvin then looked at me with a strange smile and quickly turned and walked inside his boat .I guess some things are better left unsaid ,I know he lost a son ,I don’t know how We moved the boat out to Foul Cay right on the edge of the open ocean ,so we can get an early start in the morning . Once we put down anchor ,we had a couple of drinks and some chicken and noodles . I’m ready to get out of here and do some more sailing .I got hold of Mama Christmas day , I got to talk to her ,Alan ,his wife Connie ,and their son Chris .I haven’t talked to Don or Bryan since I left Charleston .I told Mama before I left that I wish I could be happy to raise a family in a little house some where ,but that’s just not me ,I want to see everything before I die .

          It’s very close to Christmas now ,I went to town with Jim today .When Jim and John are talking on the radio about us ,they call us the kids .Jim heard from his business pardoner ,he told him he has cancer .So Jim will be going back to the states from here .I sure hate to see him go ,he reminds me of JP Lanham (when he was alive) so much .He was my Moms second husband and a real good man .They talk alike ,drink alike ,have some of the same sayings ,and will jump dead in your stuff ,if you mess up .We will all miss him .The rebuild kit is still not here ,and I want to take Defiance across the bay and fill up with fuel and water ,but until that kit comes in we have no steering . I will try very hard to call Mama Christmas afternoon when all my brothers are over there .I am the oldest of four boys ,and I do miss my family ,and except for God ,there is nothing more important than family .On another note ,one thing that I have learned so far in my travels is that I don’t think I could have picked a better boat to take on such a trip .I mean we’ve been through a three day storm among other things .I spent two years looking at boats ,asking questions ,dragging my buddies around the docks .I finally settled on Defiance ,at 46 ft long ,13.6 ft wide ,and a draft of 6 ft ,she is a 1979 Morgan sail boat and tough as nails .I have been very happy with her so far .

          We left Lee Stocking island the next morning and headed for George Town .We got here early in the afternoon and on the way in Calvin caught a nice Mai-Mai .That night we had a feast ,and a good time was had by all .We found a marine store and ordered a rebuild kit for the hydraulic cylinder .It was 30.50 in the book ,but the guy said by the time it gets here from the States it will have traveled by plane and boat ,and its going to cost you 70.00 . We’re going to stay here through Christmas .We’re still together ,Jim on Charlie X-Ray,John and Millie on Star finder ,and Calvin and myself on Defiance .I guess we’re all going to tag along together ,so far we all get along together .The name of the island George town sits on is , The Great Exuma island .Its more oriented towards Cruisers than any place I’ve been thus far .

It’s Saturday morning 7:00 am ,We left Stanyal Cay Friday morning about 8:00 am and got to Galliott Cay about 1:00 pm .We lost steering again ,we think it’s the hydraulic cylinder leaking down .From here we’re going to have to go down the Eastern side of the islands ,which is going to be deep water and choppy seas. we’ll try to get a weather report before we leave. Last night I cooked Deer cube steak and gravy ,and had Jim and John ,and Johns girl friend Millie over for dinner .I think they enjoyed their selves ,I’m a pretty good cook ,if I must say so my self .                                                                Well it’s now Saturday afternoon ,we left at 8:00 this morning headed for Georgetown .We got as far as Lee Stocking island and John came over the radio and said it was to rough out here for he and Millie .He asked if we would come in with him .Jim came over the radio and said he was going on to Georgetown .I was fine ,Defiance is tough and gives a good ride in bad weather, but decided to go in with him .John’s been good to us ,it was only lunch time but we came in and anchored .We were rewarded though ,when Calvin hooked a two ft Barracuda on the way in .Some say they are poisonous ,but it’s the big ones that you can’t eat .There are some buildings and houses along with a dock within site . I took the dingy in to see if there was a store on the island .I found a guy who said it was a private island and research center for marine life .Got back to the boat and Calvin had filleted the fish he caught and was cooking it up in a frying pan. It was real good ,maybe this will break the bad luck we’ve had trying to catch fish. Calvin had said earlier that he had tried everything and could not catch a fish .I told him ,my experience with things ,one day he’ll just start catching fish.