Ready, set..........
We're busily getting the boat ready for the trip North, to the Dominican Republic. We'll be making the first jump on a trip that will end at the Miami Beach Marina and our old/new life. We've been in Bonaire for 3 months waiting out hurricane season. To the uninitiated, there's a huge swath of ocean between Cape Hatteras and the Southern Caribbean where hurricanes roar by between July and November. Boat insurance companies specify that if any damage happens to you in hurricane season inside "the hurricane box", you are not covered. Gulp.
So, we've been sitting here in Bonaire.......just slightly outside "the hurricane box". Soon, we make the mad 400 mile dash almost due North to "the DR". We've got some friends who left early and some who have ignored the hurricane box altogether. Hurricane Sandy (the current storm as of this writing) looks like it will rage through the very Bahamian islands we plan on visiting in a few weeks with winds gusting to over 115 mph......Cat Island, the Exumas, Eleutheria............hope some of them are still there when we arrive. Although the profit opportunity hasn't escaped my notice..........
Starving Islanders (wading into the ocean toward L'ORIENT)- "Have you brought us salvation ? Do you have any water ?"
Tom- Well, yes and no. We have over 900 liters of water, IF..........the price is right !!! We take Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. We also have a special on Beefaroni.......$50 per can. Step right up !!!
The problem with a sailboat is that it is essentially an RV with a top speed of 8 miles per hour. Once you're committed to a crossing, if you haven't checked the weather there is little you can do to get out of the way...........think of crossing a 12 lane highway in a motorized wheelchair and you'll have the feeling of helplessness when you are tracking a storm while at sea. For this reason, we've hired a weather router (yes, this is actually a career track) and so far he's been very good.
Anyway, we're looking forward to sailing again. We've never been to Hispaniola, and we will be careful to stay away from the western side (where the Dominican's neighbors, the Haitians reside).
So, we've been sitting here in Bonaire.......just slightly outside "the hurricane box". Soon, we make the mad 400 mile dash almost due North to "the DR". We've got some friends who left early and some who have ignored the hurricane box altogether. Hurricane Sandy (the current storm as of this writing) looks like it will rage through the very Bahamian islands we plan on visiting in a few weeks with winds gusting to over 115 mph......Cat Island, the Exumas, Eleutheria............hope some of them are still there when we arrive. Although the profit opportunity hasn't escaped my notice..........
Starving Islanders (wading into the ocean toward L'ORIENT)- "Have you brought us salvation ? Do you have any water ?"
Tom- Well, yes and no. We have over 900 liters of water, IF..........the price is right !!! We take Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. We also have a special on Beefaroni.......$50 per can. Step right up !!!
The problem with a sailboat is that it is essentially an RV with a top speed of 8 miles per hour. Once you're committed to a crossing, if you haven't checked the weather there is little you can do to get out of the way...........think of crossing a 12 lane highway in a motorized wheelchair and you'll have the feeling of helplessness when you are tracking a storm while at sea. For this reason, we've hired a weather router (yes, this is actually a career track) and so far he's been very good.
Anyway, we're looking forward to sailing again. We've never been to Hispaniola, and we will be careful to stay away from the western side (where the Dominican's neighbors, the Haitians reside).