New Town New Culture

I departed Ensenada Dakity and sadly waved to Wandering Dolphin as I made my way out of the cut. I finally left Puerto Rico astern yesterday morning. I slipped the mooring at sunrise on a southeast 5-10 knot forecast and light seas for the 20 mile trip to windward. The conditions were a little more lumpy than I had anticipated and it was the first time I've had to contend with any kind of current. Nothing to get sweaty about though, but it did cause the sea to be a bit bumpy. Once I arrived it was a bit of a to do to find a spot. I had intended on anchoring on the west side of Water Island where the guide indicated it was nice and protected. However the water was very deep and where the water depth was manageable private moorings existed. After nearly two hours of trying to get things worked out I started locking up. So I headed straight to the hustle and busl of the Charlotte Amalie main harbor where I am anchored right off the cruise ship dock. It is a little crowded but not nearly as much as I thought and also a couple of boats I recognize from my travels are here as well. Really looking forward to having Wandering Dolphin make the 20 mile jump....so hurry up!

I am anchored right off the newly built Yacht Haven complex that caters to the mega yacht industry. The area has beautiful facilities with shops. I have already located my core needs of coffee shop (of which I sit currently) a bookstore and a marine store. So today, my first full day here in St. Thomas will be spent checking out some sights. I have a small fuel leak and need to find a Yanmar dealer to discuss and buy some fuel hose. Yesterday it rained buckets with some thunderstorms late in the afternoon and evening. Hopefully it will be a little nicer today.

So future plans include me heading to St. Johns likely on Sunday. I have been focused on St. Johns for quiet awhile and look forward to spending at least a month or more on said island.

Capt Chris

Ensenada Dakity Anchorage

Here is an aerial view of Christa's current position, located behind a wonderful barrier reef. The anchorage has multiple free moorings put in by the Department of Natural Resources and is clearly a favorite of most cruisers. I moved out to the anchorage a couple of days ago. I don't have to rave about how beautiful it is, the picture tells the story. I spent a couple of hours yesterday in "big blue" which is my kayak. As an aside, I could have an entire separate blog for "big blue", which has seen its share of adventure. Both with and without me. Anyway it was a very calm and peaceful morning and I simply skulked along the reef and shoreline. Critters abound in this sparely populated part of the island.

To get to town is a little bit of a to do. It is about a 30 minute brisk walk one way. So what most cruisers do is simply spend a few days out at the reef and go back to town in the big boat for a few days to resupply. It would be a very easy pattern for me to fall into. But.....

A very calm few days are in store for the next few days in the NE Caribbean. I plan on taking advantage to make some easy easting. It already has been 8 days since I arrived in Culebra. Tomorrow mooring I plan on slipping the mooring for the 20 mile jump to St. Thomas USVI where I'll spend some time and then it is onto St. Johns USVI. I likely will spend a month or more in St. Johns as I await the arrival of Janina in December.

Have a nice day!

Capt Chris

The Reefs of Culebra

Team Wandering Dolphin swung by this morning in "The Bus" for a snorkeling expedition to the reefs on the western shore. The mission was a total success. The reefs and the associated aquatic critters were equal to or better than what I experienced in the Bahamas. We visited two different reefs each choked with healthy fan coral, brain coral and all kinds of tropical fish. After the viewing we headed for a beautiful beach with picnic tables and had some lunch. Wrapped things of up by 12:30pm just in time for some afternoon rest! Now I have to confess that I did not take said picture. The picture was taken by Team Prudence who have spent the huricanne season here in Culebra. But the picture was taken on the same reef from today and in any event it represents exactly what we experienced today.

It has been one of those near perfect days. Nothing in the future to worry about and much to anticipate, the present is near perfect with gentle trades and many options. I've been playing my guitar and doing alot of reading. I have an evening run and a nice meal to look forward to. More later.

Capt Chris

Happy Halloween!

I continue to get my bearings on Culebra. Case in point I made my way over to Casa Ensenada to get my haircut from an English lady named Karen. Here are the results. My forehead continues to expand in lock step with the economic bailout plan. What can I say I am a retiree.

I like Culebra very much. For starters I think the temperature is 5 to 10 degrees cooler than Salinas with a fresh breeze even blowing at night. There seems to be a modest amount of cruisers and gringos that run businesses around the island. I hate to say it but it is a fact that the gringos simply run more efficient services. This is not to imply that the locals are not friendly. On the contrary the place seems very friendly. I did have a puking incident after a bean dish this afternoon at Mamacitas. I think my body is rejecting beans as the last time I had them several weeks back in Salinas I had the same reaction. So I feel much better but missed the kids haunted house deal with the Burton crew at Abbey School. But Wandering Dolphin and I, minus the kids are going back to Mamacitas for a late night Halloween bash. I'll avoid the beans and dress as the guy with a new haircut.

Capt Chris

Today's Photo

I'm getting my groove back no doubt. Today I took a hike in early afternoon and made my way to a hill with a big ole cistern on top where I snapped this pic. Christa sits amongst the sailboats yander. I also made my way to the library which is par for me as many of you know I love books and libraries. What is really cool about the Culebra library is that Sheryle from Prudence works their. The Culebra library is actually a trailer that runs on a Kubota diesel generator with a very nice selection. Now it may not have the charm of the Boston library in term of structure but it was purchased and then donated by an American family that bought and dedicated it in honor of there daughter who died in a plane crash in 1996. Plus it has AC, always critical to the cruiser in the tropics.

So I was able to gather all relevant information needed for a stay. Located the marine store, propane guy, gas station, laundry facility and breakfast joint. Prudence also schooled me in the numerous reefs to go snorkeling around. Another big piece of news is I located an English lady who cuts hair. I have not had a haircut in 13 months, and I think it is time.

This evening I went for an evening run which is always a thrill when you don't know the terrain, but I found a nice 4 mile circuit around the harbor that has a few hills.

Now I do have to remind myself it still is hurricane season and a system is midway between the Cape Verdes and the Lesser Antilles. All the experts agree that it should sheer itself apart in a day or two. But I am in a much more exposed position here in Culebra, although mangroves do exist here. The harbor is completely sealed off from the sea but in certain directions you can have up to 1 mile of fetch. In any event November hurricanes in this area are rare although pesky depressions and Tropical Storms can creep up. Enough of that. Have a nice day!

Capt Chris

Spanish Virgin Islands

Dropped anchor this morning in Ensenda Hondal harbor in Culebra. Wandering Dolphin and I raised anchor about 7:30pm last night in a near calm and carefully avoided the reef that protects Patilla. The conditions were just beautiful with no moon, the sky a planatarium to be studied and the seas were navigated easily. The test came when we rounded Punta Tuna on the southeast coast where we would be exposed to the full force of the elements if the elements were present. The seas became a little bumpy due to the depth rising rapidly, but we stayed in at least 1000 fathoms and it was no problem. Once thing I wanted to mention is we were approached twice by boats with no lights. It was Customs and Border Protection who have a very robust presence all along Puerto Rico. A week ago back in Salinas CBP hauled in two sailboats with 65 Dominicans crammed into the cabin. Illegal Immigration in Puerto Rico is a serious problem and between the Coast Guard, FURA, The Policia and the Dept of Natural Resources they have assets just about everywhere. So anyway they came whaling on in with a spotlight shined in my eyes with the usual questions of last port of call and next port of a call and all that. Some folks get so upset but not me as I used to be the guy on the other side of the spot light in my former life. Onward. Once we rounded the NW tip of Vieques it became apparent we were making very good time and we'd arrive before sunrise so we eased on back. Pretty soon the lights of Culebra and St. Thomas were present on the horizon. The entrance to Culebra is riddled with reefs but all are very well buoyed, thank you USCG and it was an straight forward navigation detail. There is an anchorage called Dakity that sits behind a beautiful coral reef and has tons of free moorings just west of the entrance, I hope to move out to Dakity in a day or two and enjoy the isolation and clear clear water. But for now I'm anchored just off the runway on the north end of Ensenada Honda in very good holding. Quite pleased with the situation to say the least. But just as I was drifting off to sleep an prop job flew about 100 feet over my main hatch.....that may become upsetting at some point.

One more thing, I was going to do a long blurb on my long stay in Salinas but have decided against it. I have good things to say about Salinas and it served my purposes well, but the drama became stifling and I will just leave it at that. Cruisers that spend alot of time in one place for awhile can identify, clicks form, emotions swell and it usually rears its head at the dingy dock. Genesis of all problems amongst cruisers always erupts at the dingy dock.


Capt Chris

Broke Suction. Rolling!

Anchored Puerto Pattilla, south east coast Puerto Rico

Ahoy. I weighted anchor from Salinas PR yesterday morning and > made my way 6 miles to an anchorage adjacent to the Jobos mangrove > system to pre-stage myself prior to heading into the Caribbean Sea > early this morning. During the short transit to my pre-stage > anchorage I ran up the Yanmar to full power and ran most of the > other systems, raised sail (first time in 8 months) and pretty much > ensured that I had no weaknesses. I'm happy to report that Christa > ran strong and all systems are G. I am also excited to report that > the Burton Family aboard Wandering Dolphin of Rudyard Montana joined > me in the anchorage at sunset last night. They also were struggling > to break the ties from Salinas. It's wonderful to caravan with > another boat. > > Our original plan was to sail our the Boca de Inferno inlet at > sunset last night and sail all night and hopefully make the west end > of Vieques Island by sunrise. But the forecast was for 13 to 18 > knots on the nose of course and a 8 to 9 foot long period north > swell. That large north swell could make some areas of transit > tricky as the north facing beaches are predicting max 16 breakers. > It was not worth it as the forecast is improving greatly over the > next couple of days. So instead Wandering Dolphin and I weighted > anchor by 5 am and made an easy, pleasurable trip 17 miles east to > the little fishing village on the SE point of PR. The trip was easy > with no strain in early morning calm. We watched a wonderful sunrise > as we motor sailed at 5 knots. We had the anchor down by 8:30 am > right off the beach. It is very picturesque. Palm trees line the > beach with towering green mountains in the backdrop. Beautiful. > > So the current plan is to rest here all day and weight anchor about > 8pm and make the 30 mile or so sail to Vieques. If the conditions > are nice as expected and were making good time we may decide to go > the extra 20 miles to Culebra where I plan on spending two or three > weeks before moving to St. Thomas/St. John USVI, St. Thomas is only > 20 miles east of Culebra. > > More later. > > > Capt Chris >

Going to try and Break Suction

Well my time here in Salinas is coming to an end. I'm hoping to make the 60 mile jump Sunday and to Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands. In terms of weather it is the usual mix bag. I am very very happy to report the tropics are quiet and no models forecast any type of hurricane formation. So were happy about that. On the other hand, it is the usual story where I need to move at night when the trades are at there lightest...one hope. I will continue to motor sail to windward really until I get to the Virgin Islands. One more 80 mile hop from the Virgins to St. Maarten in a couple of months and then I truly start to trade wind sail in earnest.

Well I'm going to go for an evening run before the sunsets and I will finish this post when I can or I may do another blog entry. I have some thoughts on Salinas and my nearly eight months here.

Capt Chris

Picture of Operation Spyder In

This picture was taken from Christa's bow the morning after Omar passed by. You see Maaktare, another Westsail32 just like Christa and further on is Wandering Dolphin. You can get a sense of what it means to be lashed into the mangroves. Their really is two methods. In my opinion the tactic that gives you the best chance to survive is to use the method all three of us used. The rub is that few spots exist where you can use the preferred method which is to suspend the boat in the center of a narrow channel. You can see lines leading from the boat in all directions to the roots of the mangroves and the boat is stripped of all sails and canvas and anything that would create resistance to the wind. But the second methods is to jam the bow into the mangrove and deploy anchors off the stern. This method seems just fine to me but could be a problem if the wind is astern or from the side which could drive you straight into the mangroves. This is the beauty of the mangroves. If the boat does get driven into the mangroves, little damage would be done, maybe some cosmetic damage but nothing serious. But I clearly prefer the middle channel deal. This is why I move earlier which provides me with the best spot and plenty of time to tie in properly. Plus truth be told, I like it in the mangroves. As you can see it is beautiful, just a little warm with bugs. Not a problem for me for an extended period of time. I wouldn't want to spend a month in the mangroves, but a few days is fine. Anyone who places comfort as a core value wouldn't do so well.....in fact anyone who places comfort above all else would not do well as a cruiser. One must have a high tolerance. So that's that.

Capt Chris

Yikes!

Here is a sat photo of Omar as it spins north east to the NE Caribbean islands. I didn't have the graphics available while in the mangroves. And I guess I'm glad I didn't as that is a scary looking storm. You can see the bulk of the energy to the north east of the eye.

Capt Chris