When we arrived in the Dominican Republic on December 6, 2011, after beating 1,000 miles to windward from Bocas del Toro, Panama, our first port of entry was Marina ZarPar.

We were immediately greeted by the authorities as well as the new boatyard manager Tony Torres. Tony arranged a welcome party for us at one of the dock gazebos. Tony is an avid sailor and manages the Dominican Republic’s chapter of the Seven Seas Cruising Association.

We lost our radar scanner off the mast in a gale the day before our arrival. Luckily, the scanner became wedged in our lower rigging and stayed put for the duration. Tony was able to re-install our radar scanner and was very detailed and thorough in his re-installation using stainless bolts and rivets, but didn’t have the electronic experience to make the repair. However, he referred us to Frank Castillo, the Port Captain at Marina Casa de Campo, where we hired Ian Wilson, an electronics wizard. He not only repaired the radar scanner but was able to fix our AIS too.

Frank Castillo and his staff at Marina Casa de Campo are some of the best marina professionals we’ve had the pleasure to meet since beginning our cruise in 2009.

Overall, the people we’ve met in the Dominican Republic have been wonderful, friendly, and have gone out of their way to help to cruise sailors!

Elina Yeager

SY Sapphire

Contact Information

Ian Wilson

Wilson Marina and Villa Services

La Romana, Dominican Republic

Cel: (809) 743-9503

Marina Casa de Campo

Dock Master: Frank Castillo

Office: (809) 523-2111/2112/2396

E-Mail: marinacasadecampo@claro.net.do