S/V L'ORIENT

The very "black ops" looking inflatable patrol boat had passed us slowly going the other way...........all ten coast guard guys looking right at us. Then, they did a quick power turn and were along side L'ORIENT in one hot second. Kirstin and I had just crossed the Mona Passage and were tired and relatively beaten up by 24 hours of squalls, big wind, and breaking waves. Tom- "Anything I can do for you guys ?" Coast Guard- "Sir, are you American citizens ? Have you been boarded by the USCG recently ? And do you have any weapons ?" Tom "No, no, and no" Coast Guard- "Mind if we inspect your boat ?" Funny, that this was delivered as a question but clearly wasn't. With 10 guys in black ops outfits with semi automatic guns looking at us, I graciously invited them on board. Not surprisingly, they didn't offer to take off their shoes which is standard etiquette among cruisers. As they began asking for documentation,

Vieques Well, we concluded our week in Samana............said goodbye to the military (with more money), and set off. We knew the next passage would not be ordinary. The Mona Passage is the strait between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Going directly east (into the prevailing wind) and across shoals, weird currents, and the ever present lightning storms. We consulted our crack weather router Clint Parkhurst again (and two other marine weather websites). Oh, great...........light conditions tomorrow. Off we go........... Neptune (controller of all things aquatic) doesn't like unscheduled PTO and since Kirstin and I had lounged in Samana for a week, we should have known we were in for it. As we left the marina, the wind promptly picked up and wham...........it was game on. First 1/3 of the 120 mile crossing featured very strong wind, big seas; in short it was nothing like we had been promised in the weather forecast. But we do get about 40 miles into the crossing wit

Puerto Bahia Marina - the only guest in sight Here in Samana, Dominican Republic....the world works differently. While in most part of the world, the price of things is advertised.......here it's more nuanced. For example, let's examine the process of actually arriving here on a sailboat. The DR actually operates like a premium hotel in terms of tipping (and by tipping I mean bribing). In a hotel, you're dealing with the doorman, valet, maitre d', concierge, and sommelier.........Here it's Customs, Immigration, the Army, Bureau of Taxation, Drug Inspector, and various "operators" at the dock. Good news from the immigration lady......."Senor, it's only $80 for a passport stamp". Tom/Kirstin- "Great......here's $80" Immigration Lady- "That will be $100" Tom/Kirstin- What? Oh, now we get it. Customs guy- "The inspection is free senor, but you are invited to make a contribution" Tom/Kirstin-

It was bound to happen.............believe it or not, I had never caught a fish in the ocean despite about 25 hours of trolling one, sometimes two lines. I don't fish all the time because L'ORIENT sails most often at night (so it's dangerous to be on the back of the boat). Daylight during calm seas is the only time we try this. But still..............c'mon man !!!! Zero fish ? I had tried everything, even emasculating myself and talking to "fish experts" in those red-neck outdoor stores (you know the ones; 10 million square feed dedicated to fishing stuff and bass boats). Anyway, one guy actually suggested a cedar plug with a hook in it. What ? OK, I'm stupid about fishing but not THAT stupid !!! What kind of a fish is dumb enough to bite a piece of wood ? No, I need a life-like looking squid with millions of tentacles and possibly a strobe light. The fishing consultant persisted............."really man, the plug works". I cannot adequate

Not a bad lunch view! What a difference a few days can make......earlier this week, just having parmesan cheese in our warm Beefaroni was enough to put smiles on our faces. We were being lashed by big winds and pounded by 10-11 foot waves. Kirstin has done a great job cooking, but it's not safe for anyone to be in the galley when the boat is rolling violently as it does during storms. Now in the Blue Haven marina (Turks and Caicos) we've enjoyed sipping wine on the bow of L'ORIENT while gazing a the full moon......nice beach walks in front of stylish resorts inhabited by perfect families......and our fellow yachties stop by to chat all the time. Good to the last drop - classy cruiser box wine bag My poolside reading is only interrupted by "Sir, can I get you anything ?" "No, actually I don't think I need a thing". This echos my thoughts on the big picture as well. But being the almost fully retired cheapskates we have become, staying i

View from the bow of our boat in Providenciales Kirstin and I are night sailing......3/4 moon.....20 knots of wind. We're tired from 9 straight hours of bashing into big waves. L'ORIENT is 10 miles from our midnight anchorage in Turks and Caicos. Suddenly on the VHF: Scary official sounding guy- "Vessel approaching Turks and Caicos from the northwest at 6 knots......state your intentions" Tom- What ? Kirstin- I wonder who he's talking to ? Scary official sounding guy (again)- Vessel approaching Turks and Caicos from the northwest......state your intentions" Tom- Hey, you know sweetie.......we're the only boat approaching from the northwest........I think he's talking to us. Kirstin- OK call him back So, we had been spotted by radar !!!!!!  No doubt our US tax dollars had been siphoned away to pay for some banana republic high tech radar to harass cruisers. We finally responded and answered the guy's question. What's our int

This passage- Miami Beach to Antigua- has thus far been one of extremes. Since the prevailing wind in the Bahamas is east and rather strong at this time of year, we’ve had to be patient. Changes to the wind’s direction occur when fronts pass………..creating momentary opportunities to move the boat southeast towards our destination. While the change in wind direction in these situations is welcome, the accompanying conditions are less so. After leaving Black Point in the Exumas, we sailed in very strong seas and wind   to Rum Cay (90 miles)………….slept for 5 hours at anchor………and then sailed for Mayaguana (135 miles). This was the better part of two straight days of heavy weather sailing. While it represented great progress , the seas were 10 ft, the wind 23-33 knots and we anchored here   totally exhausted.   Upon our arrival in Mayaguana on Saturday, the east wind returned and has intensified to 27-35 knots. We have been at anchor in a coral head minefield roughly two miles from