Dominican Republic – The Rugged Coasts of La Hispaniola
First discovered by Columbus on his way to America, the Dominican Republic takes up 2 thirds of the island of Hispaniola which is located in the Caribbean. Opening up to both the Caribbean and the open waters of the Atlantic, the Yacht Charter Dominican Republic has a great sailing potential.
General Info
Colonized by the Spanish at first and then conquered by the local Haitians with whom they shared the island, the Dominican Republic managed to become an independent state in 1844, also the time when it became a republic. Ever since then the country’s economic growth has boomed and to date it’s still one of the fastest developing in this hemisphere.
The rugged landscape of the country is mostly made up of mountain ranges and fertile valleys but there are plenty sailing opportunities along the coast, and the local authorities have made serious efforts to improve and speed up the entry formalities for Yacht Charter sailors and their boats. The main ports of the country, which double up as ports of entry are Barahona, Boca Chica, Casa de Campo, Luperon, Manzanillo, Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, also the capital city.
The majority of yachts sailing here will follow a course along the north coast and make their way either east or west depending if they sail to the Lesser Antilles or the Virgin Islands. Despite this fact, this stretch of the coast is very rugged, has few anchoring points and some of them require more than a day’s sailing to reach, thus careful planning is needed.
Particularly interesting for Yacht Charter crews is the Samana Bay region which is a known spot where humpback whales migrate for their breeding season. But the best conditions are to be found in Santo Domingo, but places like Boca Chica, Casa de Campo or Las Salinas are also good places to moor.
The Dominican Republic has tropical maritime weather which means there are temperature differences between the seasons, and also in rainfall. Since the island finds itself in the middle of the hurricane belt, it’s subject to severe storms between the months of June and October.
Law & Order
Upon arrival you must fly the Q flag and wait to be boarded as it is illegal to land before being given clearance. All visitors must hold a valid passport and for most a 30-day tourist card is issued. Citizens from countries such as Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Israel, Japan, Peru, South Korea and Uruguay do not require a tourist card or a visa.
For some countries a visa will be required, Check with a local embassy or online if your country applies to such a visa before making any other plans. Skippers should also be aware of the fact that sailing at night is not encouraged and in some ports there is even a ban on boats leaving at night.
Among the other “faux-pas” foreign tourists have to remember while here is that talking about Haiti and Haitians. Although country relations between the 2 countries have improved there is still some tension, especially among the older classes. Haiti invaded and ruled Santo Domingo for 22 years in the 1800 before the country regained its independence.