Trinidad to Puerto Rico - Days 1 & 2

Day 1 - 509 nm to go We were up with the light at 0530, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It was drizzling out and pretty grey as we sipped our cuppas and did all the last minute checks we'd already done the night before. Just before 0700, David cranked up the engine, I threw off the mooring lines and we were puttering through Chaguaramas Harbour. We passed by our friends on Ave del Mar to say goodbye. Betty and Luis were on deck waving, shouting that we'd reunite in Nova Scotia next summer. We slid past all the big, moored fishing boats and tugs and barges and scooted between Grand and Little Gaspar Islands. Seagulls and terns cried overhead. Pelicans were out in great numbers, swooping low over the water or floating in rafts of 10 and 12. They barely acknowledged us at we motored past, obviously well used to passing motor vessels and more intent on catching up on pelican gossip with their neighbors.

We took a hard turn to starboard and caught a big tidal push through the narrow Boca del Monos  passage (Monkeys' Mouth) which spit us into the Caribbean Sea once again. It was still misty and we could barely see the Venezuelan coastline, only 11 nm away, on the hazy horizon. David toasted Neptune with the last of our St..Helena White Lion rum. At last, we were on our way again.

There have been several recorded pirate attacks as recently as January 2016 on yachts plying the waters between Trinidad and Grenada. We had filed a float plan with the Trinidadian Coast Guard and weren't feeling overly concerned, but concerned enough. Thankfully, we encountered no pirates, nor did we even see that many other vessels. An occasional ship passed by, but nothing closer than a mile or two. We could see Trinidad's oil platforms in the distance.

The morning mist burned off and the Caribbean welcomed us with 12-15 knot easterly winds and 3-4' (1m) seas. As the day wore on, the wind increased and we zipped along nicely. That uneasy seasick feeling lurked close by, but never manifest itself with more than a bit of nausea.

Our first problem occurred when we tried to furl the jib in anticipation of an approaching squall-line in the late afternoon. The furler fouled and we could not get the jib in. As it turned out, the squall missed us and David was able to make a quick fix to the furler though he reckoned it would require more attention when we arrived in Culebra. Other minor stuff went wrong, nothing critical and we considered it typical of any passage beginning. All were put on “the list” for another day.

We sat and chatted and napped frequently. Evening came and our first night watch passed without a problem. Winds alternated throughout the night between 10 kts and gusts to 25 kts with a few showers to keep us on our toes. After sweating in Chaguaramas, it was a pleasure to pull out a light blanket to take off the chill during the night.

Day 2 - 357 nm to go

Another grey day and the waters were choppier and with it came a touch of seasickness. We nursed ourselves with another dose of Stugeron, dry toast and tea and by late afternoon, we were both feeling better. Nothing broke that we were aware of.

We'd made good time yesterday and were hoping to continue, but we were thwarted by a 1 knot adverse current that kept our distance-made to a minimum, barely over 100 miles. It showered on and off, but the overcast skies and constant breeze kept the temperature very comfortable. By late afternoon, we were both feeling well again. The true test was making and eating dinner and being able to read without being nauseous. We were successful.

Dolphins visited throughout the day and provided some welcome entertainment. We saw a large flock of noddies around dusk, raucously discussing the best fishing possibilities for the area. Flying fish are common, but none have made their way to our scuppers yet. After Bob the Stink, it would be hard to meet another flying fish as loveable.

The overcast skies dissipated and the night was incredibly clear and beautiful. What a show! More stars than you can imagine, twinkling and glittering overhead. The Milky Way was distinctive and bright, millions of stars dazzling me with brilliance cast light years ago. I wondered who else might be out there appreciating this same spectacle.

Puerto Rico, Here We Come!

After much consideration and lots of late night and early morning conversations, we decided that Puerto Rico would be our next destination. Our time frame for getting north of Cape Hatteras by June 1st, the official start of hurricane season, limits our stops. Though it might have been nice to linger in the Eastern Caribbean islands, a straight shot north is more in keeping with our schedule. We've visited Puerto Rico before and it's wonderful. Also, since it's a US Territory, it's an easy check-in to the USA.

There are several US ports of entry in Puerto Rico, but the one that seemed easiest and most appealing was in the little town of Dewey (aka Culebra) on Isla Culebra. The anchorage in Ensenada Honda has a well-marked entry and the bay is protected from the tradewinds and wave action. By having previously enrolled in the USA's new SVRS programs (Small Vessel Reporting System) and filing a pre-passage float plan with US Customs, we are hoping the check-in procedure will be painless.

Culebra, a little island just east of Puerto Rico's main island, is considered a paradise by some with white sand beaches and a laid-back island attitude, but with enough amenities (food, booze and internet) to keep visitors happy. Its name, “Culebra”, translates to snake, but from my research I ascertained that there aren't many snakes on the island and what few there might be, they're neither venomous nor aggressive. I can live with that. We're interested in judging the “paradise quotient” for ourselves since Culebra is still considered a bit off the beaten path.

If time permits, we'd also like to spend some time in PR's capital city of San Juan. It's a beautiful Spanish colonial city, well-preserved and great to explore. Though we've been to San Juan  in the past, our memories are so bad nowadays, it'll be all new territory.

We expected the usual wait and hassle of the check-out procedure, but there was none. There was only one other person at Immigration and we whizzed through the process, as fast as you can whiz through an official procedure that involves 15 forms, carbon paper and lots of rubber stamps. Customs was the same. We paid our fees and we were legal to leave. We were all psyched up for our departure. We had more $TTs left than we'd planned on, so we caught a maxi-taxi to  Massy's to spend them on non-perishable food and the few freshies we planned to take on board. David had a hankering for a Quarter Pounder at Burger King next door to the supermarket, but when he ordered it, they were all out of beef! We settled for an iced coffee at Rituals and then caught a maxi-taxi back to Chaguaramas and lugged our booty back to the boatyard. While David loaded the dinghy, I spent all but our very last $TT1 at the little Dockside Market. Back aboard, we stowed our purchases, hauled the dinghy and made last minutes checks for an early morning departure. We took our Stugeron … just in case.

The course is all plotted. We've checked weather. We have as many freshies aboard as we think will last in this heat without refrigeration plus plenty of canned goods in the larder. We're off at dawn. We'll update Gentry with passage notes en route, but it's a short trip (~500 nm), so we won't be out of touch for too long.

Back in the Water - Adjustments Required

Well, we've not been on the water since last December and it's definitely noticeable. Cups seems to be enjoying it just fine. She's bobbing in the bay water, rocking and rolling with the waves and wakes. She strains on her mooring like a horse at the starting gate, rearing to go. We, on the other and, are finding it necessary to make a few adjustments to living on the water again.

We can't just climb down the ladder and head to the store or chandlery any more. It requires a dinghy ride. Because of security issues here, the dinghy and engine are hauled each night, so it's a bit of extra work getting ashore. On the other hand, we do not have climb down the ladder to empty the pee bucket or to go pee. I'll vote for launching the dink any time. Dropping something from the deck no longer results in “thud” and descending the ladder to retrieve the screwdriver or whatever. Now we just hear “splash” and whatever dropped is gone forever. Not that we've ever dropped anything into the water ...

On the other hand, there's no need for the long, hot, dusty walk to the Massy's Express Supermarket at Crew's Inn for our daily provisions. Instead, we can just dinghy across the harbor, tie up at the Crew's Inn dinghy dock, do our shopping and dinghy back. Much faster, more convenient and definitely less sweaty.

We haven't been taking it easy though. Before we can leave, there's still lots to do now that Cups is in her element. David reattached the jib furler, tensioned the shrouds and tuned the rig. He reassembled the furler and ran the furling lines.

Early on a calm, windless morning, we hanked on the foresails and re-rigged the sheets. I've been working on polishing the stainless, filling up the easy-access lockers from the larder, and stowing stuff we won't be needing and what seems like a million other little chores I can't seem to think of now. I'm also still researching possible ports-of-call along the way north, though time is short and there won't be much time for stopping if we're to be north of Cape Hatteras by June 1. David just completed an oil change on the engine and has begun stowing his tools and supplies.

It's the welcome sound of gulls and terns crying as they fly over that wakes us in the morning now rather than the melodic sound of kiskadees sitting on our solar panels. Frigate birds soar gracefully high above us and pelicans swoop low, just over the water's surface, looking for breakfast. The whir of the wind gen spinning is almost comforting.

The mooring field is quite full and there are anchored boats as well. Chaguaramas Harbour is anything but calm and quiet. There's a certain amount of fetch that comes into the bay when it's windy (and it has been) which can make it a bit rocky aboard. Most of the rock'n'roll however is from the never ending boat traffic around us … fishing boats, ferries, pilots, pleasure boats … all with a penchant to go fast and as close to the moored boats as possible.

One motor boat came so close to a small, anchored sailboat that its propeller clipped the sailboat's anchor rode, cutting it loose. The folks on the sailboat were off the boat at the time and another diligent cruiser noticed what happened and rescued the boat. Earlier today, we were “nudged” by a large sport fishing boat. He just wasn't paying attention. There was quite a racket as he detangled himself from our big anchor sitting on the bow, but thankfully, no harm done.

It's crazy out here … and noisy. Locals enjoy loud music and there are lots of party boats that go back and forth all night long, music blaring. Around 5am, it tapers off. Time for us to get up and start our day. Since our mooring is only ~200' from shore, we're entertained non-stop. In fact, many times it sounds as if the DJ is on our deck!

I think of the rock'n'rollin' ride as a good chance to recover our sea legs a bit and staying up all night with the local music is good practice for night watch. Now if we can only remember how to sail!