Vieques

02/24/12
Vieques
18 06.70 N 65 34.70 W

We arrived in Vieques on Friday after a rough ride across.  We had moved along the south coast of mainland Puerto Rico until we had reached the last anchorage - intending to leave at midnight for our sail across to Vieques. We usually move at night as the cooling land at night counteracts the strong trade winds and reduces their intensity at night - during the day they blow - boy do they blow.

Just before we were due to get up we heard a “pan pan” on the radio – it was our friends on “Ner' Do Well”.  They reported taking on water, bilge pump not working and unable to stem flow nor work out where water was coming from – they were sinking.  Heather was on the radio and did an amazing job of “not losing it” the fear sounded in her voice but she gave all correct information whilst Ray worked furiously below trying to locate the leak – Ray was violently seasick and it amazes me how strong these two wonderful people were.  Heather reported that the water was over the cabin floor and up to the engine block – Ray was vomiting then continuing to try to find the leak – their power was going ie no radio.  We couldn't move, we were horrified, that could be any one of us in 20 knot winds, 5 ft waves and battling to save their boat and their lives.  They were traveling with other boats who circled the stricken boat and kept in contact with the Coast Guard.  This story has a happy ending – Ray closed all his sea cocks with the exception of the main engine cooling water and the leak stopped, he then managed to get the bilge pump working and the water level slowly began to go down – you could hear the collective sigh of relief – Ner Do Well was only 7 miles from us but very little anyone could do to assist in those conditions.  We left the shelter of our bay soon after we heard they had their motor running and were slowly making headway.  The conditions were horrible and I have nothing but praise for two very brave people.

Our first anchorage on Vieques was Green Beach – it was a classic tropical island scene with azure water and coconut palm fringed white sand beaches so we spent a relaxing day swimming and exploring the beaches.

We rose early (5am) the next morning before sunup to once again try to beat the trade winds for the short motorsail to Ensenada Honda on the south coast. This anchorage was in a deep bay surrounded by low scrubby hills (mainly cactus) and edged with mangroves, so quite a contrast to Green Beach. The bay was large and very well protected – it would be an ideal hurricane hole. We had some fun exploring some narrow passage ways between the mangroves and discovering a number of enclosed lagoons surprising some of the sleeping bird inhabitants with our putt-putt dinghy.

The next bay on the south coast (Salinas del Sur) was near the west end of the island and a bit rolly not having so much protection from the ocean swells. Until recently US and NATO navies used Vieques as a bombing range and for land, air and sea based war games, particularly near the west end where we were anchored. There were numerous signs planted along the beach with large skull and crossbones with red crosses through them and a picture of a bomb – the warnings were in Spanish but we got the message – do not go ashore !!  This area seldom visited so it was a change to have a bay to ourselves. It was interesting to check out the Google Earth imagery of the area and see the infrastructure left behind – would have been interesting to explore if not for the unexploded bombs. I guess they will eventually get around to cleaning it up.

Our friends on Caribbean Souls and Spirit had elected to travel the North coast and were less than a mile away in the bay over the hill. It was calm over there with coral reefs to snorkel so maybe they mad better choice.

Salinas

2/22/12
Salinas
17 57.00 N 66 17.50 W

We left at 6am as the sun was rising for the 3 hour motor to Salinas – before the trade winds started blowing their usual 20 knots from the East. This is a very protected anchorage, supposedly safe and having arrived this morning – very popular.  Lots of boats squeezed in this bay and it appears it contains the entire Luperon flotilla – it was good catching up and hearing how the other boats fared in their travels across the Mona Passage.

Remember the Commandancia I mentioned in Luperon, Dominican Republic (the cesspool) – apparently he was arrested after we left for corruption and requesting a sexual act as a bribe - he unfortunately solicited one of the two ladies on a boat – the ladies were a domestic couple and didn't take kindly to his advances so reported him.  There is hope for that country !!!

We had fun in Salinas and traveled the island extensively, more thoroughly than expected ie. we got lost !!   Sidney is the “man”.  He runs the rent-a-car business in the little town.  Sidney is the Hertz agent but also has his own car body workshop and he hires out his loan vehicles to cruisers for $30 per day – its a very informal arrangement with no paperwork, no insurance, no deposit, no licence required, you don't even have to pay anything until you bring the car back. Strange but works well for both parties !

Our first trip was to The Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy (Camuy River Cave Park), is one of the largest cave systems in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere.  The caverns are part of a large network of natural limestone caves and underground waterways carved out by the third largest underground river in the world, the Río Camuy.  Over 10 miles of caverns, 220 caves and 17 entrances to the Camuy cave system have been mapped so far. This, however, is only a fraction of the entire system which many experts believe still holds another 800 caves.  The route took us up into the rain forest and across the other side of the island – beautiful scenery.  We followed the mapped route until its demise – it just disappeared into roadworks – they were building a bridge and the road simply disappeared over a cliff – we had to back-track for 1 hr down a very narrow windy road and all voted to stop by a bakery for cake and coffee and to work out how to find a new route.  The caves were worth the traveling – it was suppose to take 1hr 50 mins to the caves – it took us 4hrs !!!    We shared the vehicle with Heather and Ray from “SV Ner' Do Well” - they were grear fun to travel with, I haven't laughed so much in years !!!

Don and I wanted to visit the hardware and big box stores so hired a car and took off on our own – we visited “El Yunque” which is a national park on the eastern side of the island. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest system and rises to over 3,500 ft (1,065m). It contains over 75% of the virgin tropical forest remaining in Puerto Rico. Encouraged by over 100 billion gallons of rainfall a year the vegetation is prolifically verdant.

We took the steep winding road up into the clouds to the visitors car park then took a very muddy slippery walk further uphill.  The wonderful fresh smell and greenery reminded me of home. On the way down we stopped at a tiny shack holding on tight to the side of a rock and leaning over a cliff.  The old woman only spoke Spanish and was wonderful – we ate her empanadas with relish and she gave us a long dark brown thing – it was the size, shape and texture of a dog turd – she said it was carne (meat) and plantain (kinda like a huge green banana).  We plastered smiles on our faces and took a bite, it was ok if you could get over the texture, shape and color :-)   Our host kept pushing more food on us until we had sampled all she had to offer and were full.  That was lunch at $3.00 total !!

Don and I organized another rental car – this time a minivan as 3 couples (Ner Do Well and Fawkes) wanted to visit San Juan (the capital city) in particular the Old Town and the fort “Fuerte San Felipe Del Morro” or “El Morro” for short.  El Morro is one of the premier forts in the Caribbean. The fort was built to protect San Juan Harbour the gateway for supply ships headed to Spain's many colonies.  It is administered by the National Park Service.  Construction began in 1539 with the outer fortification finished in 1584.  Completion was not until 1783 – some 199 years later !

Old Town was wonderful – unlike Old Town in Panama this area was mostly renovated, painted vibrant colours with artistic tiles and ironwork as decoration – I could have walked around all day surrounded by beauty and history.

We were now ready to head off to the outer islands to the east of Puerto Rico - Vieques and Culebra – sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands.   The South African boat anchored next to us had come from Vieques.  Whilst  on a trip to the mainland via ferry, their boat was broken into and the electronics stolen (they left the alcohol), then the thieves went on to the next boat and stole their dinghy and electrics, then took the dinghy to the next motor boat, left the dinghy adrift but stole the entire motor boat - others came and there was a shootout, eventually two of the three thieves were killed (drug cartel involved) - yea !!!!  Might give that anchorage a miss :-)  Apparently this never happens on Vieques - just bad luck, wrong place and wrong time !!

Caja de Muertos

2/21/12
Caja de Muertos
17 53.40 N 66 31.70 W

Tuesday - Caja de Muertos was named because someone thought the shape of the island resembled a coffin.  It was a beautiful island and being the only people on the island with the exception of 2 park rangers made it special.   We took the hot walk up to the lighthouse on the highest point where the cooling trade winds and magnificent views were enjoyed. The track to the lighthouse would have ben spooky at night as it was cut through a maze of  5 metre high cacti which were covered in spider webs (fitting perhaps for coffin island). The beaches were pristine with a choice of surf on one side or  crystal blue warm water on the other.

Ponce

2/17/12
Ponce
17 57.9 N 66 37.20 W

We left the following day for the town of Ponce (Pon Say) where there is a big shopping mall with Sears, Walmart, Kmart, McDonalds, Kentucky FC etc etc – and big box grocery stores to replenish White Rose's depleted supply of canned and dry goods. All within walking distance (3km) from the harbour.

The cars drive on the right hand side of the road, speed limits are in miles per hour but distances are in kilometers – go figure !!!!   Spanish is spoken widely and the young girl who served me in JC Penny's chastised me for not speaking Spanish – apparently my attempts didn't count – she confused me by saying “this is Pwertoh Reeeko and you should speak Spanish” - I thought this was a territory of United States !

Ponce was all it was reputed to be – noisy !!  We walked to the Mall and after a Subway lunch I had had enough – not used to the noise and close encounters with people – I was happy to leave.  Being a relatively safe and secure anchorage we had planned to rent a car and drive up to the caves at Camuy. After making all the arrangements the guy phoned the night before to tell us the car wouldn't be available till lunch time – so we had to abandon that plan. Instead we left for Caja de Muertos (case of the dead ie. Coffin Island).

Boqueron

Boqueron
2/13/12
18 01.30 N 67 10.70 W

We now in Boqueron, a tiny weekend holiday area - it is Tuesday and everything is closed - the University students come down on the weekend and turn this peaceful little village into a large party - loud music and bedlam everywhere so we will be gone by then.

We went out to dinner last night with the "Luperon" crowd - many we had not met previously.  Whilst in a restaurant/bar a young man came up to me with devotion and love in his eyes and handed me two carnations- one red and one white.  I was speechless (and glad I had put a little makeup on and my best lacy top) - I was sure he had the wrong person - he was late 20's, a light mocha color, black hair with a sexy ponytail and muscles bulging under his "bad ass" t-shirt - and he gave me carnations !!!!  I later watched him give similar flowers to a young beautiful girl but that must have been his sister.  It was Valentines Day and I shall treasure those flowers forever.

Boqueron was a rolly anchorage so Don and I decided to move on down and around the Cape to the southern side of the island – with prevailing winds being easterly this side of the island should be a lot more protected.
The next stop was Gilligan's Island – I think someone employed by the Tourist Bureau and on the short line for dismissal thought up this one – the island was a tiny sand cay covered in mangroves. There were narrow deep channels running through the mangroves which were inteing to snorkel through. One small ferry boat arrived and there was standing room only – it was beautiful and very clean but in my memory did not resemble my favorite childhood show – no Mary-Ann, Ginger, Gilligan, The Captain, The Professor and Mr and Mrs – now what were their names ???

Anyway it was a nice still anchorage and a pleasant place to relax with very fewer boats.

Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
2/12/12
18 13.00 N 67 10.00 W

We arrived in Mayaguez Puerto Rico to do our check in - Customs and Border Protection are located at the shipping terminal and formalities were simple - that was after we managed to get ashore - some boaters took their lives in their hands and tied their dinghy to the shipping wharf and climbed up the tyre fenders - these were approximately 6 feet in diameter and 3 feet in depth - not an easy task and a promise of a very wet exit back into the dinghy and then the security guards charged them $25 for tying the dinghy to their wharf !!!  We took our dinghy to the nearby sandy beach and walked back to customs :-).  Many of the Luperon cruising community have made the trip to Puerto Rico at the same time so we are looking forward to catching up with the crowd tonight for a celebratory dinner.......