The Potty King

The Potty King

Saturday 8th - Sunday 9th March 2025

Many people take care of their bathroom business first thing in the morning, but not everybody gets ripped in to serious toilet repairs before breakfast! A couple of weeks go I rebuilt the pumping mechanism of our aft toilet and cleared the attached septic hose. However, we still had a slight leak and it also seemed like there was a build up of pressure when pumping overboard. I solved the leak a couple of days ago and figured out that the section of hose downhill of the anti-syphon loop and closest to the overboard thru-hull must be partially blocked. So this morning, immediately after morning coffee, I closed the thru-hull valve and took out the offending section of hose. OMG … the 2 inch hose was blocked to 1/8 inch with crystalline sediments. I cleaned these out with a wooden stick and mad sure the thru-hull was also clear and re-assembled the system. It works beautifully … for now! I should add that I showered between completing this project and eating a leisurely breakfast of coffee, bananas, warm croissants and raspberry jam. It’s a rough life!

Yesterday was another spectacular day in Los Haitises National Park. We moved Cotinga for a change of scenery and anchored closer to the caves. We then took the Dainty Dog up another mangrove lined inlet and left her at a small stone dock. A moderate and confusing walk through the forest brought us to Grey Owl cave. At first we weren’t sure we were in the right spot as it looked just like a cleft in the rock, but when you follow the narrow gap you find yourself inside a large cave lit up by a hole in the roof. We were also happy to see once again the beautiful broad billed tody.

After lunch we dinghied back up the mangrove river as far as you can get (see previous blog entry), parked at the dinghy and walked up the road to the Paraiso Cano Honda resort. What an amazing place. We had to pay a small fee to get in and walk around, but the grounds and buildings are spectacular and we had the option of swimming in any one of the many cascading pools that are fed by the nearby river. It was well worth the trip.

One returning to Cotinga we were waved over by neighboring cruisers aboard the catamaran Arabella and stopped by for a drink. Paul and Jo are from Cape Town, South Africa and have been traveling since 2023. Their friends, Benje and Deb, from the adjacent monohull Makarios, are from Thermopollis, Wyoming and have also been cruising for a couple of years. We are all heading northwards through the Bahamas, so hope to meet up with them again. 

We are now anchored outside the Puerto Bahia Marina, where we spent 6 days previously. We have updated our “Despachio” and are now cleared to sail around to the north coast of the DR. We plan on leaving around 6 pm and expect the journey to take about 20 hours

Mike

19 11.656 N, 69 21.691 W

The inlet leading to the dock for Grey Owl Cave

The entrance to Grey Owl Cave

Gloria and Dave in Grey Owl cave

The top of the cleft Grey Owl Cave

This photo won't win any awards but here is the lovely broad billed tody (hummingbird size)

Rice farmers near the Paraiso Cano Honda resort

The view back to the mangrove river and the bay beyond from the Paraiso Cano Honda resort

One of a dozen or so waterfalls that sit above swimming pools in the Paraiso Cano Honda resort

A wasp that I spotted working on a nest in the grounds of the Paraiso Cano Honda resort