The Real Luperon Yacht Club

To go back a bit, our destination Luperon, came from several experienced cruiser's recommendations, and a cruising guide, Passages South by Bruce Van Sant, and was going to be a stopover on the way to points south, with our first serious anchoring out in a safe harbor... And despite my preparations via the internet of all the customs, agriculture, and pet regulations, I really didn't have much info on Luperon . Well, I didn't know we would have battery and hydraulics issues that would keep us from anchoring out, or that I would have this quick and deep love for Luperon just as it is.
So, when we limped into the harbor, we were guided to one of the two "marinas" in the harbor, Marina Luperon Yacht Club. We were thrilled there was a spot with enough water for our 7.5 foot draft, and didn't have a clue what to expect other than the ad in the book. There was power and water hook up, a dock,( that squeaks and moves with each shaky step as if it could tilt right into the water) and up the 58 perpendicular stone steps, a huge round two story building with a thatched roof, a restaurant and bar with a great view of the harbor, 2 swimming pools, and the list of amenities from the ad ... And it was OK when we discovered they couldn't cook a hamburgesa, and the steps were good for all of us...humph. The fuel dock, wi-fi, satellite TV, ice, hotel, laundry ...did not properly exist, but it was no big deal, we have our own laundry , ice, didn't want hotel or TV and found internet service and fuel elsewhere....The real misconception came from a friend who after going through the process of being allowed to join a (real) Yacht Club in the San Juan Islands, asked me if www.luperonmarina.com was as nice as it looked.... so, curious to see, I found the flashing "under construction" sign to be a slight understatement. Wow, with hotels, a boat lift and boat yard, multiple floating docks, it looked so like a real marina! So, unlike the next boat to dock here shortly after us, we had no preconceptions. The necessities were fine, mixed liberally with friendly, hardworking, non-english speaking help, a free stairmaster workout, daily happy hours with cold beer and drinks, and the wandering horses , cows, and dogs made this a special place. This is pretty amazing, as it is my heritage to criticize/find fault or be negative about things in general. I am working on this, I promise. The boat that arrived afew days after us, taking the only other spot on the one rickety dock, had obviously believed what they saw on the internet. Theirs is one of those boats, like a perfectly coiffed toy poodle complete with red toenails and a bow in its topknot, or a condo for sale in Town and Country, the 61 foot Hatteras came in with its owners wearing headsets and matching fanny packs...all the gadgets, mats, and accoutrement were shiny new, and expertly embossed with the boats name. Well, maybe I am a boat snob(!), and maybe they really do like it here, but tomorrow they are heading on to Ocean World Marina & Casino and Adventure Park, about 35 miles east of here near Puerto Plata, where you can swim with the dolphins and dock your yacht in proper style. My biggest drawback is naming people(no, not labeling...) and on passing by the shiny boat the first time with the dogs in tow for the morning stairmaster, I saw the economy-sized bottle of Febreeze through the (tinted glass) port....thus they became The Febreezers, or as Rock volunteered, The Febreeziacs. Sometimes my names do make it hard to warm up to people, but then rarely give names to those I am close to.
So welcome to the Real Yacht Club, its almost 5:00 and happy hour whispers down the stairmaster.