Just wondering

For our followers who may be wondering what happen to us this last days...

We didn't forgot the blog at all, we are just working out some issues related to the design, since we want it completely ready to run after we announce our adventure officially in mid August.

We need to decide on a design that will allow us to carry information about us, our project, our supporters, but also the blog itself and with the possibility of adding some advertising if some brands decide to support us during our trip.

For that, instead of changing the blog design on the way, we decided that would be better to have it all done before we go. Lets be fair, it easier to do it now than later when the access to internet will be an adventure itself!

We not being experts in blogging or blogging design, neither html coding, make it all more difficult and in need of help from friends. For now it's all working well, lets hope for the best and for a fast solution for our design.

If you notice any messing around with the design in our 3 language blogs we apologize for it!

Soon we will have a cleaner face and a nicer place for you to read our poor posts!

Joao and the Crew of Dee!

Heart Breaking!

Sail away with Me

This article should be dedicated to NaE since now she is in the mind preparation stage for the coming new lifestyle, completely different from what she has now!

As she’s from the “Big City”, she cares more about “face” and “materials” but it’s not her fault! Her parents raised her in a way that she thought she could have everything, however, one thing at a time –That “branded” her way of thinking: “always get the best”. Brand name or expensive ones are always better than no brand goods. And this way of thinking only got worst after she moved to China, where the first question people ask about your belongings is “How much?”. We, Asian, know it’s a rude question at the eyes of the “whites” (westerns), however, here it’s not, it’s cultural!

She is lucky that she can support her own expenses and have enough to pay for it! We usually travel to Europe, at least, once a year, and to other countries in Asia 2-3 times, not including Thailand whenever NaE cries to meet her mother and her childhood friends. As to support her upbringing, in all of our travelling, the sightseeing is done, almost all, in shopping malls! Yes! We visit historical places and others but spent more time in the buildings with air-con!

Recently, while NaE and João were in the kitchen, NaE’s phone rang and she answered: “Ok, Thank you”. That’s all she said to the person on the line so João wondered why the conversation was so short and asked her what was it. “The ….. (Swiss brand watch shop in the biggest shopping mall in Macau) called me to say they are on sale now and ask me to go. See, I don’t even need to find out which shop is on sale now. They call to inform me”! “You should be ashamed”, was the reply from João as he left the kitchen.

Thanks god we have the boat in Dominican Republic and we can’t carry everything from Macau because it would be very expensive. Seriously, she even wants to bring her “Lady D” or “cross C” bags to the boat with the excuse that in case I go to a party ashore! Where?!

Deep inside she’s not that obsessed with brand mania and in fact she improved a lot since the first time they met. Her turning point was when she was pregnant last year. Most of her tiny cloths don’t seem fit anymore. By then she had to start buying inexpensive outfits and only essentials hoping that she can wear the old clothes later on… But she realized that wouldn't be possible!

When we start selling the things in our house, because we can’t bring the whole house into our boat, she was “forced” to sell all her “brand name” cloths and João kept listening to the sentence “I never wear this one”, “this one I bought in Europe” or “this one is blab la bla brand”. While João was felling annoyed NaE felt like it was a big tragedy when she had to choose all that “precious” things to sell.

By then, she started to realize, and becoming more realistic, that she have to start from zero again. It’s the perfect time being about to move to our boat. “If I knew that I wasted a lot of money on garbage, I wouldn't do that”, she keeps saying!

However, all this experience doesn't change her soul overnight, she still buy thing with brand but only the essentials and not because it’s cheap or on sale… One step at a time…

Now her next question is “How I will move to the boat with one 23 kilos of luggage?”

Another crying article will be coming soon!

Cargo from Macau

These past few weeks have been of intense planning and research to send our belongings to the Dominican Republic.

Being in the other side of the world and on a tight budget can reduce our options seriously. The ideal solution would be to just get a container and send everything we have at home that we want to take! This, fortunately or unfortunately, is not possible.

The option of sending cargo by volume would be the most advantageous, since cost is around 350€ per cubic meter (including documents, packaging, etc.). However, and with the previous experience with the Windvane we bought to install and it was sent from Germany, import taxes in the country of destination are surreal! Therefore, being the things that we want to send personal belongings, and all used, such taxes would make it prohibitively expensive to send them.

And on the other hand, the shipping from Asia it’s only possible to Santo Domingo, so we would still need to find a solution to clear the customs and have it transported to Luperon. I wonder how much it would be without us being in the country!

So the solution has to be to reduce the amount of things we have to mail directly to Luperon. This will cost around 250€ per 20 kilos! And believe me, 20 kilos is nothing when it comes to our belongings.

We already picked almost everything we want to send, and the first box of 20 kilos should follow soon, to see if reaches the destination before we decide to send more!

Clothes, beddings, towels, baby clothes, some kitchen utensils that we can’t find there (utensils for Asian food in particular), some equipment for the boat, small spare parts, baby books and some technical books that could not be scanned (because it would not be convenient for future reference), are some of the things we have to take.

We would appreciate some ideas to send things, if they are different from ours.

The other option would be to buy everything in Dominican Republic, but as I said earlier regarding the kitchen utensils, is not possible to find everything in the other side of the world. And certainly there are things with sentimental value for us that we would to have in our new home.

This step of sending cargo from Macau to the Dominican Republic is, so far, the most expensive of all.

Soon you will know what will be the most expensive but unavoidable...

The North face of the Caribbean

Posting note

This article was originally wrote to be published in Fragrant Harbour and also in Cruising World magazines. I'm not sure if they were published, however, i'm posting it here free of charge and it's original version.

____________________________________________________________________

We were recently in the Caribbeans, more specifically in the Dominican Republic, one of the main ports of entry into the Caribbean Sea.

In the other side of the world (we live in Macau, China) the recreational boating sector it’s alive and kicking, in opposition to what is happening in our region with all the lack of infrastructure and Government unwilling to create more opportunities. 

On this recent trip, which had as main objective preparing a boat for a circumnavigation, we were in this country that, little by little, is starting to be a good option for a technical stop when sailing from Bermuda or the American Atlantic coast en route to the Caribbean.

The island of Hispaniola, which includes two countries, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is the ideal place for a technical stop to rest and refuel for the boats and crews making the run South or North. We were in Puerto Plata, Luperon and other places of the coast facing the Atlantic with the trade winds blowing strong at this time of year. On this side of the island there are two large marinas, Ocean World Marina in Puerto Plata, which include a luxury resort with casino and water park (prices and information bellow) and Puerto Bahia Marina (prices and information in the box). And there is another option, that although they call it marina, it’s a yard with dockage area adjacent to a huge bay. This new place is now emerging in the sailing community and making a name to themselves among the cruisers that ever year pass through these waters heading North or South. Although it’s in a area that many say it’s filthy and dangerous, we can assure you that’s changing rapidly.

The Marina Tropical Luperon, completely out of the beaten track of the flocks of tourists that populate Dominican Republic, specially the North coast where Puerto Plata it’s the main attraction, presents itself as the ideal place to spend the hurricane season. In fact, the Luperon Bay is known as a hurricane hole since the times of Colombo. According to historical record, Christopher Columbus anchored his fleet there to protect them from one of these storms that affect much of the Caribbean, Central and North America every year.

With excellent natural conditions, the Luperon Bay offers everything that a cruiser could want. Calm and clean waters, lush mangrove, immigration services and grocery stores, restaurants and local fresh market, health center, banks and even a small hotel for those wishing to get their land legs back.

This side of the island of Hispaniola is still little used by sailboats on route from the North, the Bahamas, Bermuda or Florida or even further North and bound to the Caribbean, suffering with a very unstable situation in the neighboring country, Haiti

However, the authorities continue to work to promote an image of security. During our stay in the area we did not see any signs of instability or insecurity. However, to address this problem Tropical Marina, with it’s new manager, a Russian national with plenty of experience in the boating industry, being a captain for many years and also with wide experience running marinas in the US, has security guards 24 hours and one can only enter the perimeter of the marina after being identified.

I think the reason for the North side of the island to continue to be less used than the South side facing the Caribbean Sea, has more to do with lack of information then that lack of security or infrastructures.

This Marina though small, with capacity for only 10 boats on pontoons, has a completely protected bay with a capacity of over 200 vessels which is managed by the Marinha de Guerra (Dominican Republic Navy) and is the delight of those who live there for most of the year on board sailing boats. The shuttling of dinghies is a 

constant in both the Marina and coastal areas that provide access to the village.

In addition to locations in the water Marina Tropical also offers an extensive area of dry dock where boats can be clean and small works can be carried out by its crew or by labor provided by the Marina.

During our stay we could count 11 sailing boats on the yard and two motorboats, and seven in the water. We were able to see also the haul out of a Lagoon 45 catamaran, registered in the British Virgin Islands and with a Burmese crew. The hauling out system can work with boats up to 60 feet.

To reach Luperon by land the best way is to rent a car in Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata and drive towards Santiago de Los Caballeros, the second largest city on the island, and at 22 km after Puerto Plata, turn right, following 30 km more to reach the village of Luperon. The roads have clear directions, the only drawback is that the fuel is one of the most expensive in the world. The access to the marina still a bit undeveloped, with and the dirt road becoming almost impossible to drive in case of rain if you don’t have a four-wheel drive vehicle, as we were able to testify with our rental car (Hyundai Tucson)! This is one of items in the priority list that the management of the Marina has been trying to solve with the local authorities but, as in all aspects of government in these Caribbean countries, takes time!

At the time of our visit they had just had installed running water and to the end of March was scheduled the connection of electric power from the public grid. As for now, the power is supplied with generators on site.

In the Dominican Republic there are nine marinas, almost all located in the Southern part of the island, facing the Caribbean Sea where the greater movement of boats usually is and it’s for many years part of the Caribbean circuit of cruisers.

Thousands of boats from the United States and Canada come here every year for the Caribbean season, making this side of the island a perfect gateway to the remaining Caribbean more to South, BVI, Guadaloupe, Martinique, Barbados or even to South American countries like Venezuela, Colombia or Panama. To the North with Turks and Caicos, Cuba, The Bahamas or the coast of United States being the main destinations.

The marinas in the North coast of Dominican Republic are, Salinas Hotel and Marina in Ocoa Bay; Zarpar Marina in Boca Chica, Marina Punta Cana and Cap Cana Marina in Punta Cana; Nautic Club of Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, Nautic Club of Haina, in Haina, Nautic Club of Andrés, in Andrés Bay; Casa de Campo Marina in Romana.

Marina Tropical Luperon

24-hour security

10 moorings up to 150 ft

Bathrooms and showers

Electricity and water

Yard for repairs

Emigration on site

Parking

Garbage collection

GPS coordinates: Latitude N 19 ° 53,38 '- W 70 ° 57,15

10.00US$ to 15.00US$ per day for wet slips10.00US$ to 12.00US$ per day for yard storage

Special prices for longer stays to be agreed on arrival

Ocean World Marina

50 moorings up to 250 feet

Depth 12 feet

Fuel

Water and Electricity

Free wifi internet

Bathrooms with shower

24-hour security

Laundry

Emigration onsite

Pump for waste tanks

GPS coordinates: Latitude N 19 ° 50,095 '- Longitude W 70 ° 43,535'

1.6US$ per foot per day

Special prices for longer stays to be agreed on arrival

Samana Puerto Bahia Marina

More than 200 moorings up to 150 feet

Depth 10 feet

Internet access

Water and electricity

24-hour security

Services for boats in transitWeather and navigational information

Car hire and taxi

Garbage collection

Water Taxi

Bars and Restaurants

Hotel

Grocery

Parking

Spa and hair saloon

Bathrooms and showers

Pool

Gym

GPS coordinates: Latitude N 19 ° 11,670 '- W 69 ° 21,158'

0.9US$ to 2.00US$ per foot per day

Special prices for longer stays to be agreed on arrival

Costs and money

Almost at the same time that the idea of ​​"leaving" on a sailboat was growing on our heads we also had emerging questions of how we would cover all the expenses of to this style of life. Doubts still persist but, somehow, we think that they will dissipate as we settle into the new style.

We were able to secure collaboration with the weekly newspaper O Clarim in Macau, where we will publish everything that is going on during our trip. It was also agreed a collaboration in English with the monthly magazine Fragrant Harbour from Hong Kong. I already write to both publications for several years, so it’s not really something new but more of continuity.

However, this cash flow will not, by itself, be enough to cover all expenses, so we hope that we can have more collaborations during our journey and help us to cover all the expenses.

NaE has also secured collaboration with a monthly magazine in Thai language and it will also help to “plug some holes”!

However, and as we have to be creative in the solutions to generate funds, we decided that I would take the surveyors course for fishing and pleasure boats from the United States Surveyor Association, having completed it in April 2013. I’m now a Master Surveyor (!), licensed by the USSA. In practice this license allows me to do inspections on vessels anywhere in the world. So if you need any inspection of a boat, and if we are in your area, do not hesitate to contact us!

We know from the experience of others with the same lifestyle that costs of day-to-day (not including exceptional maintenance), turn out to be much smaller than we normally have on land. No water bills, power, phone, etc ... and there is no rents to pay, no cars or trips to the cinema or the restaurant every day!

It is difficult to find information on expenditure in this lifestyle because each crew is a different case. If we choose to have the same lifestyle we had on land, eating at expensive restaurants and traveling all the time, of course we will end up spending fortunes. But this lifestyle it’s exactly to escape all of that and engage in a more relaxed life, leaving all these "vices" behind.

Currently, with the lifestyle we lead on land, we spend roughly € 2,000 per month on food, fixed expenses and other extras. Not counting the house rent (or amortization to the bank), gasoline, car park, etc… So, hopefully, in the life aboard such expenses will be reduced substantially.

We will try, at least the first few months, to keep a list of food costs, maintenance and other running costs, so that we can get an idea of ​​what will be necessary in terms of budget without going into unnecessary expenses.

If you have any ideas, please share them!

Quest pirates convicted

You probably still remember the case of the S/V Quest and its crew who was murdered by a group of Somali pirates. It happened in 2011 in the Gulf of Oman, when a pirate group approached the american sailboat and kidnapped its crew. The details of what happened after still unclear but it is believed that the crew was eventually killed due to disputes between various groups of pirates who fought to see who would take the boat to Somalia and request the ransom.

Finally, after all these years, a group of three pirates was brought to justice and may even be sentenced to death in the United States.

This may be end for the horrible crime that was the murder of Jean and Scott Adam, owners of the S/V Quest, and their friends Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay, while in 2011 the U.S. Navy tried to negotiate their release with the pirates on high sea ​​off Somalia.

The sailboat was coming from the Gulf of Oman and en route to Djibouti for supplies when it was intercepted by pirates.

You can read more here... In English…in Portuguese…

The story in 2011 can be read here in English… In Portuguese…