Our Experience of Officialdom in the DR

Created by sue. Last modified on 2010-01-17 20:13:02

Countries: Dominican Republic

Sent by Bill Earl

SV ZIAMAR, a Sunbeam 37

We crossed from the Turks and Caicos to the Dominican Republic over a month ago and had a very wide variety of experiences. I’ll try to recount some of them.

Monte Cristi
Our original plan was to sail the Windward Passage and the south coast of the DR but that was scrapped after a bad crossing to Monte Cristi. Our reception in Monte Cristi was relatively easy. We were boarded by the Marina de Guerra, the “drug” inspector and a local tour guide (Giovanni) who served as interpreter. I speak fluent Spanish so the interpreter wasn’t needed but they didn’t know that from shore and he proved to be a valuable asset in any case. I wasn’t asked for any fees but voluntarily over tipped them $20 each. Probably $10 each would have been more than enough.

Monte Cristi is not a Port of Entry, so we were originally told by an unofficial representative of Immigrations that we could clear Immigrations and Customs at Ocean World (Puerto Plata) when we got there.

We dinghied ashore to the Yacht Club, we were anchored on the western side of El Morro, the mountain that defines Monte Cristi. We had breakfast and a bit later we were told that the Immigration officer would drive from Manzanillo (the nearest Port of Entry). He arrived about an hour and a half later and took care of the paperwork. We had a long, interesting conversation with him in the restaurant of the Yacht Club. He told us that the rules had changed and there were no fees for any of us (there were 4 of us on the boat) or for the boat. We did tip him about $20 for his gas for driving all the way from Manzanillo.

Our plan was to leave Monte Cristi near midnight and sail to Ocean World. But the next day when we went to get a despacho from the Commandancia we were told that we could only leave between about 7:00 and 18:00. We were also told that there had been an attempt to pirate a sailboat that was sailing past Monte Cristi the night before. The attempt was thwarted by “intelligence information” and the local Marina de Guerra. I haven’t verified that report. So, we decided to leave the next morning at 7:00 and the Marina de Guerra came out in a motor boat and gave us our despacho early in the morning.

Punta Rucia
Since we left Monte Cristi a bit late we decided to go only as far as Punta Rucia where we anchored off the beach. The local Commandante and intelligencia came to the boat and looked at our despacho for Puerto Plata and took it, telling us to come to their headquarters to get it back later, because we planned to leave early in the morning. We dinghied to the beach later and went looking for the Commandante. Punta Rucia is a small village primarily along a single dirt road so we found him near a restaurant in town. We decided to get some late lunch (or early dinner) and asked him and intelligence agent to join us for something to eat. They declined but took our offer to buy them some rum to drink. We spent most of the afternoon and evening with them and a few of the restaurant folks eating and drinking. In the end they gave us our despacho back at the end of the evening. We had planned to leave early the next morning. As we were walking to the dinghy, the Commandante mentioned that he could use a little tip but he was very polite about it. I tipped him about $10 at that point. The next morning we decided to stay another day. We saw the Commandante for a moment in the afternoon and he just waved.

Ocean World
The next morning we sailed early to Ocean World. At Ocean World we contacted the marina on VHF-16 and they directed us into the marina. Staying at the marina makes all of the paperwork pretty simple. They take care of just about everything. The Marina de Guerra came by and took our despacho from Monte Cristi and gave us a cursory inspection and that was it.

Staying at Ocean World makes life pretty easy. Roberto, the “concierge” speaks good English and is extremely helpful. We spent a couple of days waiting for weather to head to Samana. When we decided to depart, we wanted to leave at about 6:00 AM and there is a Marina de Guerra office right in the marina office building and there is always someone on duty. The officer on duty was the same one that had been on duty when we came in and he printed out our despacho on the computer. As I was leaving he mentioned a tip (quite politely) and I gave him $10.

Rio San Juan
We decided to stop in Rio San Juan for the night. We got in around sunset and anchored in with the fishing fleet. The anchorage was a bit rolly so we were up early and left without ever seeing any officials.

Puerto del Valle / Escondido
Our next stop was in Escondido. We were able to find our way into the bay and down near the beach. The bottom is rocky and holding isn’t great. A fisherman came by late in the day and warned us about the difficulty of anchoring where we were. We anchored off the beach after several tries and set an anchor alarm. We raised the anchor at about 7:00 the next morning without seeing any officials for the second night.

Samana / Santa Barbara
We arrived late in the afternoon and after our bad anchoring the night before decided to pick up a mooring ball and see what we might have to do about it later. The Marina de Guerra and intelligence agent came out with their translator in a small skiff. They were pleasant and did their inspection without asking for a tip or anything.

A few days later we decided to sail to Les Haitises National Park for a few days while waiting for weather to cross the Mona Passage. Our original plan was to sail directly from Les Haitises to Punta Cana and then cross to Puerto Rico. However, when we went to get a despacho from the local Comandancia we were told that we couldn’t do that. We could only get a despacho for the park and then would have to return to Samana for another one to Punta Cana. The other problem was that the Comandante was off in town somewhere and we waited a couple of hours because he is the only person who could sign the despacho. There were some Dominican guys in the office trying to arrange a boat sail and they were even less happy than we were. Before issuing the despacho I was told that I had to go to the Port Authority and pay for anchoring in the bay. (I had already paid the mooring ball owner $5 per day, which I didn’t consider to be too bad.) After chasing around I managed to find the guy from the Port Authority (he was sitting on the malecon by the dinghy dock) and he charged me $30 for about 5 or 6 days of staying in the bay. With his receipt, I was finally issued a despacho for Les Haitises.

When we returned from Les Haitises we managed to get a despacho after another two hour wait for the Comandante who was, again, somewhere in the town. The despacho was delivered to the boat by a Sergeant in the Marina de Guerra (the same one who had inspected our boat when we arrived). The only person that I tipped was the secretary in the Comandancia who kept trying to help us get the paperwork done as quickly as she could. We sailed towards Punta Cana at about sundown. Overall I found the costs from the port authority and the constant delays at the Comandancia a bit of a pain.

Les Haitises
Just a little digression. This is a beautiful park with an excellent anchorage in the Bahia de San Lorenzo. On Sunday there were a number of motor launches bringing people to see the caves but most of the time it was calm and quiet. The Park Rangers came by in a motor boat on Sunday afternoon and charged us 100 pesos per person for use of the park. They were pleasant and even gave us a receipt for the fee.

Punta Macao
The winds weren’t very favorable so we decided to anchor at Punta Macao and make it the rest of the way to Punta Cana the next day. We managed to find a pretty good anchorage off the beach. There were lots of dune buggies and parties on the beach.

After a bit, a fishing boat started to make its way to us with four men paddling. When they finally arrived at our boat the party consisted of a very young soldier with an M-16 and no boots on, the intelligence agent, their translator, and the fisherman who obviously owned the boat. The three of them boarded and did the most thorough inspection that we’d had. Clearly, the guy from intelligence was in charge. The poor young soldier was getting very seasick with the warm conditions and rocking while he was below. As they were leaving the intelligence guy said something about how they’d watch our boat from shore and protect us but he’d like a tip. I gave him about $8 and that started a discussion between me, the translator and the intelligence agent about how little it was and how we really weren’t supposed to anchor there and he was being so nice to allow us to stay because it isn’t a regular port or harbor. In the end it cost us about $27 in tips which wasn’t too much but I felt like we’d been extorted in the end. The noise on the beach died down at sundown and we left early the next morning for Punta Cana.

Punta Cana / CapCana Marina
The weather for crossing the Mona Passage had turned pretty bad so we decided to stay at CapCana for several days while waiting. We had to sail all the way into the marina because we’d lost the voltage regulator and didn’t want to run the engine for more than a couple of minutes. When we hailed CapCana on VHF-16 they told us that they would come out and pilot us in. When we got close we hailed them again and a nice RIB came out and slowly piloted us into the marina.

Once we got to the dock the marina had one of their security guys take the despacho from Samana and they took care of everything. Everyone at the marina was helpful and we got great service. When we decided to leave, we thought we’d sail out (across the Mona Passage) in the early evening. We were told by the marina office that the Marina de Guerra (who have an office right at the marina) wouldn’t let us leave between 1800 and 600 and that we’d have to get all of the clearance from immigrations, etc.

I was told that the “law” was that the Marina de Guerra would only allow sailing from 6:00 AM to 6:00PM and now a lot of the minor issues that we’d had in Monte Cristi, Ocean World, and Samana made some sense. But if those are the departure times allowed, that makes Bruce Van Sant’s sailing the night lees a little tricky.

We decided to leave at noon the next day so I asked to get our despacho at 1100. Of course they were late and we completed all of the paperwork by about 1215, which was OK. The marina told me that there was a $10 or 20 fee for the departure paperwork for leaving the country and not to pay anything else. They actually sent someone to the airport (only a few miles away) to get the immigrations and customs folks and when everyone got there we completed a bunch of paperwork, got our passports stamped on the dock and had our departure inspection. After the inspection (by only 3 guys) the officer from the Marina de Guerra said that the fee was $20. Upon looking in my wallet, all I had was a $50 bill and I asked if there was a way to get change. He just looked at me and politely said to forget it.

Conclusions

It’s a long saga. Lots of different places and lots of different experiences. Overall, the Dominican people were wonderful. We had fantastic service in the marinas, good food, and generally really enjoyed the country and the people. I wish we’d had the wherewithal to sail the Southern Coast as Frank Virgintino recommends.

However, the constant boarding and inspection, even in little anchorages, is a bit tiring. And I found that the differences in “tipping” from place to place to be a little disconcerting. I don’t mind the tips, I’d rather not offend people and I’d like to get the best service possible and leave a good impression. Hopefully, the DR will eventually come up with a simple cruising permit and can dispense with some of the minor hassles. I certainly appreciate the fact that the Marina de Guerra serves a purpose in minimizing crime and preventing smuggling of both drugs and people.


http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2010-01-16-3

The more thing change the more things stay the same.

This article could have been written 30 years ago.

Then people wonder why so many Sailors and Yachtsman avoid the D.R.

arina Zarpar - Cruisers Comments

Created by sue. Last modified on 2012-04-17 21:01:00

Countries: Dominican Republic

Posted 17 April 2012
From Marco Urech of S/Y Habibi
Homeport Basilea Switzerland

Subject: The good and not-so-good of Marina Zarpar
See comments from Marina Zarpar at the bottom

I know there is a lot of blessing for Marina Zar Par. But I think it’s necessary to share some details. We stayed there for more than two weeks while waiting for a Visa and had some nice but also some bad experiences:

Let me start with the nice things:

It’s simply one of the best Marinas at the South Coast of DR - the entry looks tricky but is not – it was clearly marked. They even send a courtesy boat to assist.

Raul the Harbormaster is the genuine stuff we cruisers hope for. He speaks English and is a real help for most matters.

The security is great! You can leave the boat unattended.

The whole marina is really nicely made and clean.

They provide a cell phone with a SIM card included and you just pay for the calls you’ve made.

They have a courtesy car which drives you to the next city or supermarket (Olé the Supermarket is great).

Rubio and Teresa from the on-site restaurant are friendly guys. Their food is excellent and they finally introduced a Happy Hour!

Room for improvement:

We felt the laundry was expensive (US$3-4 per wash and US$1 for a 10 minute dryer), plus, the machines were not always working.

The advertised depth is difficult to find. During our stay boats could not get a haul out at high tide with the 70t travel lift which is advertised with 8ft or so. Watch your depth in general inside the marina and at the moorings.

Not so good:

We used an outside contractor, SailingDr, for some varnishing and polishing and were not happy with the results. I left with what I felt was a badly done job and a couple of hundred dollars worth of damages.

In summary:

A nice, clean and safe marina for visiting Santo Domingo which is just a half hour bus ride away. Nothing extraordinary, but fair for the price (at least with US prices in mind).

Marina Zarpar passed on the following comments:

The marina has no formal agreement with any workmen that operate out of the marina. Customers are free, like they are at most marinas, to use who they see fit. The marina owns the travel lift and does take the boat out of the water with the marina staff. After that what workmen they choose to use is their personal choice.

As to the depth the customer sites, he is incorrect. There is 8' to the lift that takes boats out of the water. However, that is at normal tide and not when a north wind has been blowing the wind out of the bay for two straight weeks. This pertains only to the travel lift. At the west side of the marina, slips have an average depth of 12' of water.

He is free to have his opinion of the fee for the washing and drying machines; however, electric is extremely expensive in the Dominican Republic and the laundromat is not a profit center.

(Editor’s Note: In the DR the average day-labour fee is about 50 to $100 per day depending on whether the worker is Dominican or Haitian. Many cruisers like the price but are not entirely satisfied with the results – however – you get what you pay for. Yacht finish varnish work with excellent preparation in the United States costs between $60 and $100 or more per hour. At that price you get all the preparation and a finish that is glass. In the Caribbean, outdoor in the elements with someone who is basic for $100 a day or less you get a passable job.)

Posted 14 June 2011
From Richard Brunstrom

Message:
We visited this marina in May 2011 in our Hallberg Rassy 53. I cannot praise the marina staff too highly - friendly and efficient. All entry formalities are completed on site and are extremely slick; uniquely in our experience so far we did not have to fill in a single form - it was all done for us. The boat was boarded by six officials and a cursory search took place. All extremely friendly courteous and professional. Soft drinks were accepted but beer was refused.

The marina is very well maintained and managed, and water is free. An excellent cheap bus service connects with the capital Santo Domingo the beautifully restored colonial part of which is a must-see destination as the first European city in the new world.

The marina has an on-site sailing development officer in Antonio (Tony) Torres who is outstandingly helpful and enthusiastic, and really useful as a local contact. The marina has a very good laundry and free showers which are basic but clean, an on-site cheap restaurant and bar and regularly organises a free welcome dinner drinks and entertainment for visiting crews during the winter season.

We arrived in the dark. Buoyage has just been upgraded (all charts are out of date; most particularly the leading lights have been replaced by a first rate RWG sectored light) and is now excellent (and lit) but the passage does involve passing disconcertingly close to breaking waves to starboard!. On entry to the leisure port it is essential to keep very close to the moored boats on the port side to avoid shallows to starboard. Beware using the mooring buoys outside the marina - some will allow your boat to go aground stern first when the wind changes, so seek guidance from marina staff first. Staff will meet incoming boats and pilot you in if required, and will cheerfully assist with entering the marina and mooring.

All in all an excellent place and an exciting country to which we intend to return.

Posted 28th March 2009
From Paul Roberts

Zar Par Marina in Boca Chica, DR, provided expert and timely help in repairing mast and sail damage encountered sailing from Key Largo, FL, to Boca Chica on our Gemini cat in the face of strong E and NE winds and waves. Staff was supportive, friendly and skilled and labor prices reasonable. Security there is great, and so is their restaurant.

Posted 25th March 2009
From Tom Verry

Been here two weeks and have had new graphics, welding and some canvas work done. The welding and graphics are a fraction of what they would be in the TCI, Bahamas or the States and the canvas work is similarly priced. The general manger, Wilber Baez, has alot of contacts and can get most things that cruisers need done. There is an excellent restaurant on site and the staff is friendly and helpful.

Posted 11 Feburary 2009
From Salvador and Monserrat Costa
SV Lycka

It has been a great pleasure to come to the Dominican Republic and to Marina ZarPar in Boca Chica. Their excellent ability and the way they treat you is exceptional. They know how to satisfy each and every sailor. It is an incredible experience to stay in Boca Chica and to be at a marina with such wonderful people who really give you their heart.

Posted 2 February 2009
From SV Moody Blues

After five nights of bashing across the Caribbean Sea from Columbia, coming into Boca Chica, Marina Zar-Par specifically, was heaven.

We were able to easily check into the country right there in the marina, then take hot showers, do laundry and eat delicious food all within a couple of hours.

Friendly staff, spacious docks, pretty setting and Boca Chica is a happy town with a gorgeous beach. What a nice reprive Boca Chica has turned out to be.

Posted 26 June 2008
From Ariane Fürer Landolt and Martin Landolt
SY Suleika, Basel, Switzerland

We would like to submit a comment on our experience in the Marina Zar Par in the Dominican Republic. We arrived there on the 9th of March 2008 and stayed for one month. We were welcomed by the marina staff which brought by boat the officials from customs to our vessel on the buoy. The customs control took place very efficiently without any problems and the three young officials were very polite. After that we went to immigration who have an office in the marina. The lady in charge was very kind and the check-in was straightforward. To get a "Dispachio" for leaving, the best thing is to notify the staff of the marina twenty four hours in advance, and then it works just fine.

We liked the way the Marina Zar Par has been built. Particularly the "kiosquos" are great. They offer a shadowed space where you can meet other sailors or enjoy the free internet access using the provided 110 V power. A great spot.

Furthermore, the office of the marina lent us a mobile phone for free. We just had to load some money on it and were able to communicate with whomever we wanted. In the office there is a computer for internet access, free. Also the food in the restaurant inside the marina is very tasty, we enjoyed it very much.

The marina is placed next to the public beach of San Andres. You can meet the Dominicans there, listen to their good music and enjoy life.

Concerning supplies, there is a well equipped chandlery next to the marina. Fruits, vegetables and drinks can be bought five minutes away in San Andres or in a supermarket in Boca Chica, which is a beautiful fifteen minutes walk away from the marina. Not to forget the Italian shop in Boca Chica selling fresh bread and a good choice of meat and other tasty stuff for reasonable prices. On top of all this, a public bus runs to the capital, Santo Domingo. The ride takes about fifty minutes.

The staff of the marina are very friendly and helpful and the officials all are very kind and polite. Just go and explore the Dominican Republic. The people are great.

The D.R. is considered to be a place to be avoided by Sailors and Yachtsman

and then we have the other extreme



Antigua!

Dominican Republic : Profile

Facts

The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, one of the Greater Antilles; the other third of the island is Haiti, culturally very different from the Dominican Republic.

Unlike in the past, foreign yachts are welcome in most places and facilities are steadily improving. Entry formalities are now completed quickly in most ports of entry when all the paperwork is in order. But be prepared for being borded and inspected at almost every stop you make, including while at anchor on passage.

Most yachts sail along the north coast as they make their way either east or west between the USA and the Virgin Islands or Lesser Antilles. This is a wild and rugged coast with only a handful of sheltered anchorages. As it is difficult to cover the distances between them in one day's sail, cruising here needs careful planning. There is no doubt that this coast is best enjoyed if heading westward, otherwise the continuous beating into the trades can mar the pleasure of discovering this unspoilt area.

One paricularly attractive stop is at Samana Bay, on the east coast. This is an area to which humpback whales migrate for the breeding season.

Because of the prevailing NE winds, the south coast offers more protected anchorages and attractive harbours, ranging from Punta Beata in the west to Isla Saona at the far eastern end of the island.

The best facilities are to the east of the capital, Santo Domingo, at Boca Chica and further east at Casa de Campo. West of the capital, Las Salinas is probably the best stop. Outside of the large industrial centres, repair facilities for yachts are virtually non-existent although minor repairs can be dealt with by ordinary workshops.

The average cost for day workers doing cosmetic work is between US$50-100 per day, depending on whether the worker is Dominican or Haitian. Whilst this price appears very attractive, cruisers should be aware that the standard of workmanship tends to match the price and many are not entirely satisfied with the results.

Luperon is popular with cruising sailors, having a well sheltered harbour and a lively "cruising" social life, but facilities are limited.

There are some relatively new large resorts which have marinas within their complexes at Punta Cana, Casa de Campo and Cofresi (3NM W of Puerto Plata).

Security

Based on reports to noonsite from cruisers, petty theft from yachts is on the rise in the Caribbean in general. Cruisers should take basic safety precautions and use common sense when leaving the boat or going ashore at night. Dinghy thieves operate throughout the Caribbean and best advice is to place your dinghy on deck and chain it overnight.

Check the Noonsite Piracy Pages and the Caribbean Safety & Security Net for information on the current island situation.

The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com) gather information by anchorage or by island, so sailors can plan their cruising in the Caribbean with an eye to appropriate behaviour and precautions wherever they decide to go. Should you have information about a security incident, as well as contacting Noonsite please also forward details to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, as theirs is the most comprehensive source of Caribbean security incidents against sailors on the net. Please be sure to include boat name, date of incident and anchorage/port where the incident took place.
Weather

The Dominican Republic lies in the outer tropical zone, so there is little temperature variation between summer and winter. The varied relief of the large island means a diverse climate, from warm and tropical to arid and more temperate.

Dominican Republic Weather Forecast
Main Ports

Although San Pedro de Macoris, on the south coast of the DR, is a port of entry, it is a commercial industrial port which does not cater to cruising sailors, therefore yachts should avoid it.

Barahona * , Boca Chica * , Casa de Campo * , Las Salinas * , Luperon * , Manzanillo * , Monte Cristi , Puerto Plata (Cofresi) * , Punta Cana * , Samana * , Santo Domingo *

*Indicates a port of entry.

Recent experience in the Dominican Republic

Created by val. Last modified on 2011-02-27 13:04:39

Contributors:
Countries: Dominican Republic

My brother and I have spent the better parts of the last three winters in Dominican Republic, living on our ketch in Luperon and ashore in Luperon and Cabarete and have seen quite a few changes; not all of them good. Most of the people are wonderful and honest, though as in any place there are exceptions.

The paperwork for boats sailing from port to port is burdensome and official corruption extensive and expensive. We have often been stopped on the road at police and G4 military roadblocks and asked for money to continue. At Punta Rucia we were charged US$70 for a ‘permisso’ after a one night anchoring and at Monti Christi US$60. On our way to Samana from Monti Christi we stopped overnight in Luperon and were held in port for five days of excellent sailing weather because some official in Santo Domingo decided to close the ports because of "dangerous weather conditions". We considered complaining to the US embassy but were warned that if we did our boat was likely to be torn apart in a "drug inspection".

We did find the officialdom in Luperon very fair and reasonable compared to other ports. We found Samana to be the most easy going and laid back port.

The Dominican Republic should be a cruisers' paradise but burdensome bureaucracy and local official corruption currently stand very much in the way. This is very short sighted because more cruisers would bring in much needed currency to this beautiful but very poor country.

Sam Slaymaker

Punta Cana: Cap Cana Marina Update

Created by sue. Last modified on 2012-04-23 13:51:08
Countries: Dominican Republic

Approaches

Some electronic charts (e.g. Navionics) show no detail of this marina and its entrance. They boast a Pilot service - if visibility or conditions are poor insist on it - Ch 16 or 72.

The buoyed channel can be difficult to see at first and it has been moved to 18 29.83N 068 22.1W. The buoys from the original channel slightly to the north were never removed and some have dragged leaving a confusing array of buoys to the north of the present channel.

Berthing

This marina was designed for large sport fishing boats, not yachts. Many of the berths are alongside walls, all of which have an overhang at the top and tough vertical fendering (suitable for trawlers and tugs) which is too far apart for an average fender board - so your fender board will be pinned against one place only. Cleats on the walls are a long distance apart - you will need dock lines 12 metres long.

Marina docks are fixed (ie not floating) and are high. Fendering again takes planning but the helpful staff will assist. Try to speak to Domingo (berthing master) as you check in - he knows yachts and will be of a great help.

Clearance

It is a useful place to clear in and out as the marina organise everything. Clearing in is done at the fuel dock. If you do not have balloon fenders get everything else rigged before you come in as the officials will not wait for you.

The marina website publishes the current fees payable - have the correct money in US$ as they will not give change. In addition expect to give a "present" of $20 to the last person off - there may be eight of them in all. They will not remove their shoes.

Ashore

This is an upscale billion dollar (unfinished) development with expensive condos and a couple of good restaurants at the marina. The laundry is 10 minutes away by golf cart and came out of the third world. It is frequently being used by boat boys and security guards. The only showers are next door to the laundry, are unisex and in a poorer state than the laundry.

There is a small but expensive deli on site. A round trip to the supermarket will cost you $60.

Anthony Swanston
sv Wild Fox

Another great event in the Caribbean put on by people who know what they are doing

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http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7923424

Right now this kind of event cannot happen in the D.R. without some radical changes.

http://www.caribbean-sailing.com/csa/2013-caribbean-international-regatta-calendar/

Notice a certain country that treats sailors like their private ATM missing from the list?