BEACH THERAPY.................................

Yes, it has taken almost a month to find internet again..............Hard to believe but true.............Despite the fact that we have installed one of the best WIFI antennas to be had.................Useless of course, if there is no WIFI signal.

We left Boca Chica in the DR and sailed south to the corner and waited three more days for the weather to change before crossing the notorious "MONA PASSAGE"........ There were palm trees on the shore, and blue water again............. Time for some Serious BEACH THERAPY notwithstanding the wind and constant showers of the passing tropical waves............. We made do............. Fishermen brought lobsters and on shore there were more than just coconuts............ There were mosquitos that would carry you away........... and butterflies by the thousands............. we anchored far enough off-shore but you could see the black cloud of mosquitos near the beach and a black slick of dead ones at the water's edge.




The soutwestern tip of Dominican Republic with the island of SAONA is visible in the Google Earth photo above and MONA PASSAGE leading to Puerto Rico................. Note how the depth drops away dramatically from the coastline to more than 6000 feet deep...............But first there were palm trees..............Lots and lots of palm trees........



And butterflies and hermit crabs and shells......................



This is also a huge tourist destination for visitors from the hotels in the DR........... and on the morning the sun came out, more than thirty speed boats arrived with at least 25 passengers each, all wearing orange lifejackets and we counted another thirteen super sailing catamarans, with at least 80 tourists on each one, throughout the day................... Everybody swimming in blue water, all drinking the free rum drinks and all screaming in many languages............... We left one late afternoon to do the MONA PASSAGE crossing with the wind finally down to 12 knots from the ESE..........

The speedboat on the right is really quite fast with twin 125HP YAMAHA engines on the back.....................Faster than its name suggests.............