Checking out in Samana

My wife and I prepared to set sail for St. Thomas last Wednesday. We made an appointment with C&I to do the paperwrk and get clearance to leave Tuesday afternoon for an early departure Wednesday. Unfortunately after clearing out, we were informed that the guardia would not be inspecting us until the next day and we were ordered to tie up to their dock and wait until the next day. Being that there is no benifit whatsoever to plead my case to customs, we left and headed over to oficina de guardia paperwork in hand. We were told that the officer that does the courtesy inspections was not in that day and he would be on our boat by 10 the next day. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a 2k peso note showed it to him and asked if there was anything he could do to clear us now so we could.leave in the morning at 5am. He asked for my paperwork, pulled out a stamp and sramped and signed our exit papers. We exchanged the papers for the pesos and left the office for the dock where we immideately prepared to get under way fearing that if word got back to customs, we would be visited by the customs officer looking for propina or causing us more unwanted issues.

We had planned to cross the Mona during the day and do some fishing, but leaving the customs dock at 3:30 in the afternoon put us circumnavigating the passage at night. We were blessed with calm seas but unfortunately had light winds, so we motorsailed throughout the night. We made a stop off for a swim and a rest in esparanza Vieques before pulling into Benner bay St. Thomas Saturday afternoon.. all and all a great trip once we got off the customs dock in Samana. We also caught a really nice bull Dorado that I'd like to share a photo of with DR1 but I will have to wait untill I'm on my computer instead of my phone.

drescape24 said:

What a great experience! I used to sail as a kid. I would love to sail the Caribbean like you do. Keep posting your threads in off topic!

drescape24

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Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to post in off topic as it requires 500 posts to be allowed into the "private" thread.

LTSteve said:

Money talks, everyone walks. I don't think that inspector would have ever shown up the next day, do you? You had to play the Caribbean shuffle. Glad it all worked out.

LTSteve

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Exactly my reason for checking out the day before and offering up 2K pesos to the officer. At best the guy would have shown up after noon or later. Oceanworld has C&I, and guardia offices on property, and you still find yourself waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more. Then of course everyone wants propina.. thats what gets me. If they want a tip, they could at least show up on time. Your time of departure is on the paperwork de salida.

zoomzx11 said:

In spite of being descended from pirates Dominicans have never realized how much money is to be made from their ocean. The DR is not boater friendly and in fact makes coming, going and staying by boat a pita. Of course all this will change with the construction of the new Sosua Marina.

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If and when IGY decides to build it.. This would be a good thing for me personally and professionally, but it's still a ways off.

@waytogo, I don't get your post quoting my post. An OP suggested that this thread belonged in off topic, but I can't post there. No big deal..