We are in the Caicos Island chain and specifically on the island of Providenciales. ("just call it 'Provo' mon, don't wanna hurt your tongue") Provo is where most tourists come when visiting from the states. The tourist areas are on the north coast of the island, and we are anchored in the "cheap seats" on the south side. The south side of Provo is a very busy, commercial/industrial and an EXPENSIVE region; a complete shock from the rural, lush, laid back Bahamas. In addition, Provo is very arid, so blowing dust is a significant issue. Simply, this is not a pretty place to hang out..it is a place to refuel, take on water, and move on. This, also, appears to be the attitude of the government as it relates to cruisers. Cruisers are given a visa for only seven days and if you want to stay longer, you have to apply for a cruising permit ($75.00) for an additional week...and then the prices go up steeply for each additional period. No thanks...
Yesterday, we spent the day straightening/cleaning up the boat, (we had no repairs from the overnite sail, thank god), clearing customs, and relaxing. Last night, South Side Marina hosted its weekly "bring your own barbeque". You bring your grill food (we brought the mahi-mahi we caught to share with the crew of Dancing Dolphin) a side dish to share, and the marina supplies the grill, condiments, and ICE CREAM SUNDAES. First time we have been able to get ice cream in months !! We had a blast with friends, got reacquainted with cruisers we met last fall on the waterway, and met cruisers sailing north who shared current info of places we are planning to visit.
We have decided not to spend time here..and immediately head for the Dominican Republic. We will finish our reprovisioning today, clear out of customs, and leave for the DR in the morning. We have an excellent forecast for the overnight hop to Luperon, DR. Luperon is approximately 125 miles south of us, so it will be an overnight sail; arriving in the DR on Sunday morning. (We probably will have difficulty clearing customs because of the Easter Weekend, which includes Monday in Spanish countries.
Lastly, our main computer on the boat died; and was replaced with a new laptop. However, our password for posting to our blog via ham radio got lost. That is why there were minimal postings during our last overnight sail, and the ones that got posted were out of order. (We have no internet, and, therefore, no ability to see the Blog itself.so we don't know if what we send from the boat via radio actually makes it on the Blog.) We think we have the password issue solved. Now, we have to address the issue of our position reports on ShipTrak...
Will let you know when we leave...THE CREW
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