November 15, 2007
Caribbean-Bound
On the beach across from George Town in the Bahamas, there is a wooden shack that serves the coldest beer, the sweetest (most potent) Goombay Smash, and the best barbequed fish burgers. Not to mention the tastiest conch salad. It is called the Chat'n'Chill and I have written about it before. Likely something about the woman behind the bar, Arlene, who, if you get on the wrong side of her, you'll never, ever get a drink!
On Boxing Day, 2005, Chis and I met a wonderful couple from Ohio who were anchored not far from us in the harbour. We were sitting on the deck having a beer, and Mike and Judy became instant friends.
Shortly after New Year’s, they began their long trek south to Trinidad, and we began our journey north to Florida. We parted company, as we too often did as transient live-aboard sailors, but we stayed in touch by email.
Today I will meet them in Fajardo, Puerto Rico where they have been waiting out the end of hurricane season. On the first weather window, we will set sail for Bonaire in the southern Caribbean Sea. This journey should take us about four days. They plan to hop through the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), then stop in Cartagena, Colombia, then carry on through the Panama Canal and up into the Baja. I have not booked a return flight.
With a tropical wave in the southwestern Caribbean (out of our way), and a forecast of 15-20 knot winds from the east, we may just have a weather window for a beautiful beam reach straight across.
I’ll keep you posted with photos and entries of the journey.
Posted by dave at 07:03 AM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2005
Chis Sailing off Puerto Rico
Posted by dave at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)
N18.1 W67.1 Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
On the west coast of the island is the industrial port of Mayaguez, where 60% of the tuna consumed in the US is packed. We went because we had to clear out of Puerto Rico immigration and customs, not because we wanted to. We arrived at Customs at 4pm, to discover that they were closed. We wanted to leave the next morning for the Dominican Republic, a 40-hour journey. So we wanted to leave at 4am.
So, Dave walked through the US Homeland Security door marked “Restricted: Authorized Personnel Only” and starting calling “Hello, Hola, Hello!”. This is where we met Luis Vazquez, who told us that we had to go to Customs in town, not here at the dock, and they would close in 15 minutes. He offered to drive us, and bring us back. Wow!
Luis wound up in Puerto Rico after requesting a transfer. He volunteered at Staten Island picking through the wreckage that was transferred there from the World Trade Center. “We didn’t find people, just ID cards.”
Two days in a row, the kindness of strangers, and wonderful things have come our way. It is our turn.
Posted by dave at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2005
N17.6 W66.2 Salinas, Puerto Rico
Salinas was reported as the best place on the island for supplies. Lacking charts for the Dominican Republic, we headed for this area, which has a good reputation for hurricane holes. This we had to see. The holes are shallow muddy bottom holes in the mangroves, where the idea is to careen your boat into the mud, drop at least two anchors, and tie into the mangroves. Apparently, it works; we hope never to find out.
We dropped anchor just outside the hurricane holes, and headed in to get our charts.
That evening, we were hit by a series of heavy squalls and thunderstorms where the wind shifted from the east to the west, and then back. Of course, the boat points into the wind and we swung on the anchor. We knew the bottom shelved quickly to the beach, but we had no idea that the heavy winds during the storms would blow us so close. The depth sounder read 0.3 metres under the keel, and we started to take in anchor chain until it read 1 metre. Satsifed, we went to sleep, planning a very early departure.
In the morning, the depth sounder read 0.0 metres. We turned on the engine, and started to take up chain. We didn’t move. Not an inch. We dinghyed a second anchor off the right side into deeper water, and using our biggest winch, began to grind ourselves sideways off the sand shelf. We didn’t budge.
We called the Coast Guard, asking for assistance with a tow. After several minutes on the radio with them, responding to their 30 questions like “Are there any injuries?”, “Are you leaking fuel or oil?”. All boats are legally required to monitor VHF Channel 16 in the case of a distress call. Thank goodness. On anchor in the harbour, Bear Necessities called us to say he would come and tow us off the shelf. Truly amazing. He arrived 15 minutes later, along with the local Policia. The Policia were checking on us, friendly guys, drug squad. Bear Necessities tossed us a line, which we wrapped on our biggest deck cleat, and after 3 or 4 tugs, we were loose. Halleluiah! He wouldn’t take a thing for helping us, but we chatted for a few minutes on the radio, exchanged email addresses, and he asked only that we help someone in need, when the time comes. No problem!
The kindness of strangers!
One of the values we ascribe to is to always do the right thing, even if we don’t want to. We believe that by doing so, the great Creator, or guardian angel, or our destiny, will take good care of us. Every day, we remind ourselves of this. It has become more important to us now than ever before.
Posted by dave at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)
May 22, 2005
N18.1 W65.3 Isabel Segunda, Isla Vieques, Puerto Rico
The passage between the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico has wonky currents, which made for a difficult passage. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful sail into southwest winds and we arrived at Isla Vieques around 3pm, dropped anchor and called customs to let them know we had arrived. After Chis’ visit to the airport to clear customs the next morning, we left for Puerto Rico, only to encounter horrible storms on the horizon. We chickened out, and went around the corner of Vieques to drop anchor off Punta Arenas, where the storms rolled over us one by one. We plan conservatively, and this turned out to be a good choice.
Christopher Columbus, who discovered the island on his second visit, accompanied by Juan Ponce de Leon, named the island San Juan Bautista after St John the Baptist. Leon named the new settlement’s harbour Puerto Rico and at some point the island and the port swapped names. Puerto Rico was important to Spain because of discoveries of gold. At the end of the Spanish-American war in 1898, Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the US.
Posted by dave at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)