Just waiting for my weather window, actually, I need a picture window.

Luperón: "the world's largest outdoor insane asylum”

We are here and we are tropo (read: lazy). We redo the dinghy lines, bring our jib sail in to be repaired at Flaco (which is just a open first level of a house with dirt floors and one sewing machine), and I am again on a mission to find new shoes as my last pair we snatched during New Years. It seems shoes hate me as much as I hate them. Luperon is a lot like Georgetown, except for this sailing community is actually made up of sailors. It’s a jumping off point for many as well as a place to leave your boat for a few years. There is a dinghy dock (with of course gaping holes) which leads right into Luperon, but there are also dinghy docks at the yachtclub (a restaurant) and at Puerto Blanco (a restaurant, small marina, and hardware shop).


Mangroves in front of The Yachtclub

Points of interest is the Juice Shop where you can get delicious fresh juice or shakes for 50cents USD or fresh Panini sandwiches (my current favorite is the zapote shake). Captain Steve’s is a big place owned by an ex-boater, his Dominican wife, Anne, and his two girls – Stephanie and Coral.


Nachos and Margaritas at Captain Steve's

Shaggy’s is up the other street. Shaggy used to work at Lor-e-lie’s and for some reason I already had a Shaggy’s Barstool Sailor bumper sticker in my log book (this is by far my favorite place to sit and drink beer) – not to mention the only place in Luperon where I can catch a football game. The yachtclub has wonderful pools overlooking the anchorage and lots of space, but no one ever seems to be there – a shame. The city is full of small chicken shops, fresh vegetable stands, bakeries, and is mixed with locals, ex-pats (who come for the prostitutes), and sailors. The streets are filled with kids, dogs, goats, chickens, and every once and a while a pig.

Lynn, from Shaggy’s, owns a mooring on the far side of the anchorage and the next day we are on a mooring so that when Dad is at home and I am out traveling the boat will be safely moored. We organized a trade with Rapheal, a local Dominican, who takes our TV off of our hands in exchange for watching the boat while we are gone (as well as going up the mast and taking off the notch that continually catches our main halyard). Our mooring is next to Zephyr, yes, we ran into Casey and Stephanie again! And with the boat being a bit farther out we now have a bit of the dinghy ride to the boat – which is wonderful because you can really enjoy the phosphorescent water. As you dinghy through you leave a wake of glowing neon blue water and you can watch the glowing trails of fish scurry away from your boat. We spend a few days organizing Dad’s flight home and Mom’s flight back. I spend a good chunk of money on a good set of oils ($150 USD), small solar panels, and celestial navigation books. What can I say? I really like sailing. Along with the pleasure of raw sugar pralines and morning lobster vendors, we also get to meet Bruce VanSant, the author of our nautical guidebook. In the guidebook he comes across a bit arrogant, but no matter what anyone may say about him. He is an amazing soul who I really enjoying talking to.

Since we arrive it had been continuously raining. Thanks bad weather Bob. Of course being trapped inside the boat, Dad is full of projects. We change the oil and the oil filter and then attempt to change the primary fuel filter. Of course it is not quite that easy and we quickly encounter a vapor lock – a bit dumbfounded about how to fix it we contact Casey and accidentally bleed over. Dave, a tazzie, quickly rows over and shows us that the Perkins 4108 has another fitting to crack which is hidden on the side of the engine. With our few little chores behind us, it is time for Dad to go to the airport and for me to do a bit of backpacking.


At Anchor in Luperon