Luperon to and through the Bahamas

[pedrodelrio]

A guy named Papo will clean the bottom of your boat for about a buck a foot.

Peter

[latitude_chaser]

Roger that, Peter and thanks! Also, thanks for your interesting observations. I have served in many "filthy" places and it's taught me to keep an open mind and try not to judge.
Thanks again,
Rick

BTW, where do I look for Papo down there? He'll be near the top of the priority list! Also, I do mean an in-the-water-bottom cleaning.

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by pedrodelrio

Funny how some people don't like Luperon and others do. Official corruption? same as just about anywhere else in the Spanish Caribbean.
Boy...that is a high standard...no worse than the other bad corrupt places.
But WAY worse than anywhere else on the entire "Thornless path" right on down to Venezuela where Hugo will give them run for their money.
Disgusting ex-pats? Same kind of folks I found around the docks in Florida and the U.S. Virgins?
Luperon is where the guys in Miami and St. thomas go when they get kicked out. Not that it ain't bad in some US places.

Abject poverty? I guess that particular observer has had some very limited experience with other parts of the world. Dominicans are certainly far from wealthy in a material sense, but they have a good diet and seem to enjoy their lives.
Especially the whores...they really seemed to be having a good time! They seemed much happier than the ones in Vegas. Much worse poverty than on any of the other islands all the way down the chain.

Filthy? Less so than it used to be.
When all the sewers empty directly into the harbor and felllow boaters are getting deathly sick from water or food...THAT is no place I wanna hang out. Had a friend rushed to Puerto Plata with appendicitis....two weeks later massive infection had to be airlifted to PR. Horrendous sanitary conditions in the hospital compared to stateside AND to Grenada for example.

Perhaps this observer doesn't remember what the U.S. looked like before Lady Bird Johnson's beautification push in the 1960s.
I think that was about billboards and "plant a tree a shrub or a bush"....it is Luperons unique combination of all of the wonderful attribute above that make it the worst place we've eve cruised to. I can deal with one or two things, not all of it....but as I said earlier...it appeals to a certain type of individual and not to others.

Forewarned is forearmed.

[btrayfors]

We stopped in Mayaguana in June 2002 enroute from the BVI to the Chesapeake. Our route through the Bahamas and some pix of Mayaguana can be found here: http://gallery.wdsg.com/Bahamas-Trip-2002

Click twice on each pic for full resolution.

We entered the Bahamas at Mayaguana. Indeed, at that time it was a point of entry. It's a pretty bleak place, the anchorage is OK if you're careful (we draw 6.5'), and you dingy into a little creek and stone wall landing. It's very shallow...we actually bumped a few times in our inflatable RIB with the engine tilted up :-) But, it's do-able.

Very little to be seen or had there. We had a very interesting and positive experience, though. Even found a sort of cafe where we managed some sandwiches and cold beer.

It was quite a wait at the immigration/customs shed, but the papers finally got done. And, thankfully, this was before the $300 fee was imposed.

Rum Cay was great fun. Little marina. Nice restaurant. Interesting happenings there.

Marsh Harbour in the Abacos is well worth a visit. Lots of action there.

Bill

[pedrodelrio]

In the water it is. Call papo on channel 68. He can be found at the Puerto Blanco Marina.

[latitude_chaser]

Thanks Peter and Bill.

[mariner3302]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Forewarned is forearmed.

EDIT PERSONAL ATTACK
You have what... a week in the DR? You don't have a CLUE what you are talking about. WHORES??? Sure didn't see any in the month or so I was there. Nor was I 'shaken down' or made to feel in the least uncomfortable. My boat is still there and although it is a poorer area than you are used to, that doesn't make them a cheap and unclean people as you would suggest. Your comments point you out as the typical american that makes others look bad. Keep your BS posts to a minimum would you? At least don't try to advise when you don't know what you are talking about.

[camaraderie]

Mariner...cool the personal attacks...in case you didn't notice I am a moderator here.
I spent slightly over a month in Luperon...about the same time as you.
Boats Sialia, dolcefina and Raven were there with us too. All felt the same way about the place.
Sialia all got terribly sick...including the kids.
Dolcefina turned around and went back to T&C not wanting to stay in such conditions to wait for weather. Raven had the appendicitis incident spoke of earlier and THEN had their boat boarded and attempted to be looted in Samana when they went aground. They were charged $7k by the commandante to get pulled off and not allowed to leave until they did.
If you didn't see the whores you didn't get off your boat.
Don't tell ME what I experienced there.
I wonder what will be missing off your boat when you return?

[dohenyboy]

DR is not a bad place. Luperon has two big problems-the lack of drainage in the harbor which means its filthy, and its miles from anywhere else in the DR so there is provisioning or any other facilities nearby. This makes the normal aggravations of a third world country (graft, etc.) more noticable. I got out of there as fast as I could.

Unfortunately, expats tend to go to the extremes in third world countries. There are some who are there to help (peace corp, religous workers) and those who gravitate to the lowest common denominator.
Wherever there are ex pats in a third world country (possible exception muslim countries) there will be those who cater to their Walpurgis.
Of course, I am probably an elitist and a snob. I dress to the standards of the upper class when I travel abroad (no shorts or T shirts) because I want to be treated a certain way.

[SYMandalay]

There is an article about sailing to Luperon via the Bahamas on my website here...

http://symandalay.googlepages.com/home