April 4, 2006 – A Friend in Need

With a forecast for improved weather, we decided to move from the very grubby anchorage in Samana to a beautiful little island, Levantado, about three miles offshore, to use the watermaker, clean the propeller, and stage for our passage to the Turks and Caicos.. We had noticed this island with its beautiful beaches on the way in, and it looked like it had a good anchorage on the eastern end, off the beach, protected from the prevailing winds. Two Norwegian cruiser families we met in Samana had departed Saturday for the same destination, so we knew we wouldn’t be alone for the first day at least.

Because the engine had been running a little too hot, Cliff had boiled out the heat exchanger, hoping that would solve the problem, but by the time we had motored to the island, the engine was boiling. We arrived in time to say goodbye to our Norwegian friends, who told us it was a lovely spot, but “pretty rolly”. We had no choice but to drop the hook and roll with the punches – or waves, in this case -- and get to work trying to fix the overheating problem.

While the engine cooled, we took the dinghy ashore to this perfect little tropical island, and were surprised to find it gussied and groomed. We soon realized that it was a cruise ship getaway island. The lawns were mowed, the walkways paved, the beach raked, and there were numerous little beach huts and shops scattered throughout. The final give-away was the huge buffet dining area back in the trees. We were alone in the anchorage through the dark, rolly, rainy night, but Monday morning arrived shining its sun on the beautiful tropical palm-lined beach. Except for local fishermen who rowed or sailed to the nearby reef to cast their nets, the day was quiet until the Norwegian Sun anchored a mile or so off, and the local boats ferried passengers ashore.

Cliff spent Sunday afternoon and all day Monday sweating in the engine room, trying to figure out what was causing the overheating. Several times we thought we had found the problem, only to be disappointed when we tried out the still-overheating Perkins. Finally, by Monday night he was “cautiously optimistic”, and we lifted the dinghy and motor and prepared for a daybreak departure.

On Tuesday morning we started out before dawn, motored two or three miles, and were dismayed to see the engine almost at boiling point again. Obviously, we couldn’t start out on a long passage to the Turks and Caicos, so once again we turned around, hoisted the sails, and limped back in to port.

We considered going back to Isla Levantado, but decided that because we may need to hire a mechanic or find some parts, we should return to Samana. As we approached the anchorage, we saw a catamaran with a Canadian flag, and who should it be but our friends, the Tueles, on Moonbeam III. Not only is Captain Ron a ferryboat captain, he is a licensed helicopter mechanic and has a great deal of experience with diesel engines, and he loves getting his hands dirty in the engine room! So Donna, Alex, Janessa and I went to town while Cliff and Ron spent the day in the engine room, cleaning, checking, and flushing out everything in sight. Meanwhile, Donna and the girls gave Orma some much-needed help with the blogspot at the Internet Café.

It was Ron and Donna’s thirty-second anniversary, so the guys washed the grease off and we all went out for Chinese food. The meal was a bit rushed, as the men couldn’t wait to get back to the boat to run the engine, and PTL, after the final trial at 10:00pm, it ran cooler than it has for the last two years!! Finally we could get on our way the next morning. Ron and Donna left the harbour at 3:00 a.m. to travel along the coast to Luperon, and we pulled out at 6:00 a.m. to head north to the Turks and Caicos.