Mona Passage - lumpy but we made it 🙌

Brandy L

We officially made it across the Mona Passage! We left the Dominican Republic around 7:30 AM, fully aware it was going to be a motor-fest—and that’s exactly what we needed and wanted. The Mona Passage, part of the infamous Thorny Passage, has a reputation for being a thorn in your...well, you know. True to form, it didn’t disappoint. Imagine a roller coaster: you're stoked, adrenaline pumping, you're all prepped for the climb. But most coasters happen during daylight—you can see what’s coming. Now, picture doing that in the dead of night, when Windy promised calm conditions but SPOILER ALERT—the forecast was wildly wrong. That roller coaster suddenly feels a lot scarier when you can't see the drops coming! 😳 Sailing at night isn't my jam (yet), but we're working on it. The Good Stuff: - No massive squalls, lightning, or a soaked cockpit 🙌 - Picked up a sweet 1-2 knot current boost after our waypoint turn - Easy entrance into Puerto Real—light winds kissed us onto the fuel dock - Buddy-boating! Fun chats over WhatsApp helped pass the hours - Kids rallied after some seasickness - Woke up to a beautiful view of Puerto Rico and nearby islands - Full appetites returned once the seas calmed (kids were starving) - New audiobook helped speed up my watch despite feeling gross (The Road of Bones by Islay Jacobs) - Adam caught a double rainbow sighting 🌈🌈 - Dodged every squall (lucky) - No snagged fishing lines or nets The Not-So-Great Parts: - Nighttime roller coaster vibes + washing machine slosh = less than ideal - Hull slapping loudly—more annoying than dangerous but still jarring - Serious sleep deprivation for Adam and me - Brutal 2-point current against us at times; crawling at 3.5 knots on one engine - Windy’s wind forecast = lies. (GFS and Euro models—also lies.) - Adam’s unfortunate pizza and lime chip binge...regrets were made 😆 - Harbor was "over" the boat life! - Aria & I fought seasickness with music, peppermint oil, ReliefBand and meclazine Leaving the Dominican Republic was way harder than I expected. I completely fell in love with the country and felt like we barely scratched the surface. Highlights included: Puerto Bahia Marina and Resort (WOW), Ríncon, Límon Waterfall, Las Terrenas, and a quick trip to Los Haitises National Park (the caves and eco lodge blew us away). Our goal now: keep moving East with the weather toward Grenada (Insurance says we gotta be there by June 1st). Next stop—Boquerón for a night, then Salinas by Wednesday. We’ll rent a car, explore San Juan, and maybe sneak in a hike or waterfall if time allows. Then it's on to Vieques and Culebra.

Boat & Crew

Kaikoa

Dolphin, 460

Adam

Owner

Harbor Reef

Child

Aria

Child

Brandy L

Owner