Do Your Health Homework
In early 2024, UK sailors Dave and Marie Ungless departed Curaçao on board their yacht Sänna for a planned voyage toward Antigua via the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. While preparing to leave the boatyard in Curaçao, they witnessed local workers fogging for mosquitoes but were more concerned with avoiding a recent spike in COVID-19 cases among other cruisers. They were unaware that the island was actually in the grip of a significant dengue fever outbreak.
Mid-Passage Crisis
Shortly after clearing the northern tip of Curaçao and entering the open Caribbean Sea, Marie became severely ill. Her symptoms included a high fever, exhaustion, and a spreading abdominal rash. Dave, who had contracted dengue fever years earlier in El Salvador, recognized the symptoms, realizing that they were facing a medical crisis in the middle of a demanding 450-mile passage. The situation turned the journey into a test of endurance, as Dave had to manage the 50-foot yacht largely solo while Marie remained incapacitated below deck.
Challenge to Find the Right Healthcare
Upon reaching Barahona in the Dominican Republic, the gravity of the situation was confirmed by local officials and other sailors. They were warned that the local healthcare system might not provide the level of care Marie required and were advised to reach Puerto Rico, where U.S. medical standards were available. Despite their weakened state and the bureaucratic hurdles of obtaining departure permits from the Dominican Navy, they pushed eastward. They navigated through the challenging Bahia de Ocoa to Las Salinas, resting briefly before tackling the notorious Mona Passage.
Dave’s story highlights how quickly a tropical virus can compromise anyone, let alone a yacht’s crew member, turning a routine blue-water passage into a survival situation. Dave had to balance the physical toll of the virus with the technical demands of sailing through unpredictable trade winds to reach a port where Marie could safely recover.
Read the full story of Dave and Marie’s Dengue Fever Disaster:
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About the Author
Sailor and Freelance writer Dave Ungless has sailed over 60,000 sea miles, including cold weather ice-voyaging in the White Sea, northern Baltic and Gulf of Finland. He is a qualified offshore Yachtmaster holding various RYA sailing and navigation qualifications.
“Does this make me an expert? he asks”. “No, it does not. There are vastly more experienced sailors than myself, I’m always out there learning. I like to think I’m equal to any challenge and generally find I can get by. I have never believed in extensive training – being chucked in the deep end then learning to swim is my way of doing things.”
Read more about Dave and Marie’s circumnavigation voyage by visiting:
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The opinions expressed in this article and are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite or World Cruising Club.
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