Easter Weekend in Boqueron and Cabo Rojo, PR

Easter Greetings!
Easter weekend is a popular family holiday, especially at seaside and beach communities here in Puerto Rico. Locals told us that Easter and Fourth of July are the two biggest holidays for coastal communities here.
Tim's new windlass (part to raise and lower the anchor) did not arrive as promised, so here we are, still in Puerto Rico, awaiting delivery of his part. I can think of many worse places to spend a long weekend. Poor Jan, now has to raise and lower the anchor manually until the part arrives.



Zena, Pricess Warrior builds muscle

She has been dubbed "Zena, Princess Warrior".

Sea condition in Boqueron harbor on Good Friday was not particulary comfortable, partly due to wind and ocean swell causing our boat to wallow side to side, as well as the waters being stirred up by jet skis, sport fish yachts and police boats throwing wake and adding to the already stirred up conditions.

There certainly was no shortage of entertainment to watch while aboard.

The beaches were packed with younger revellers enjoying their time off.

As the weekend approached, there was an increasing police presence, with land, water and air patrols.

While all this activity was going on, we were watching a vessel to our port, attempt to raise a sunken sail boat. Not sure what the story behind the sinking is, but the divers were having a rough time in the water, not to mention the associated dangers with all the activity. Of course, there was no dive flag in sight, although I suspect that no-one would have paid any heed.   

                                                      Thankfully, conditions calmed at night when the trade winds dropped and the water revellers headed to shore to continue partying into the early morning hours.

Early on Easter Sunday morning, we opted to head a few miles south to Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico's south western tip, in search of some calmer waters with less hustle and bustle.



Cabo Rojo, SW Tip Puerto Rico



Amazingly, when we arrived, we were the only boats in the bay and the first beach going family was arriving. This seemed to good to be true, and it was. Beach goers and boats continued to stream in and at one point I counted about 35 boats lining the beach. 

It was still quiet compared with the activity in Boqueron. For a while, we were serenaded with a plethora of music blaring from different boats. The latino people sure love their music, the louder the better and Puerto Ricans are no exception.

Once again, there was no shortage of police presence.

The park patrol had a dune buggy that was constantly vigilant and the jet ski patrols checked out visiting jet skis and small water craft. The helicopter patrol flew overhead several times during the day.
Easter Monday is not a holiday in Puerto Rico and as a result, the beach crowd started to dwindle and by sunset, the only ones left were ourselves and Lamb Chop.

A desserted and tranquil beach, once again, life is good!

La Parguera and Boqueron< Puerto Rico

April 24 Still waiting in Puerto Rico for delivery of Tim's boat part, which did not arrive as promised. Now there's a surprise! Fellow cruisers will be all to familiar with this scenario. Unfortunately we sacriced a great weather window, like the song says "Que sera". Now we wait for the arrival of the part and another suitable crossing window, meantime, we are off to spend Easter Sunday at the Cabo Rojo beach (south western tip of Puerto Rico) if we can shoe horn the boats into the bay. Lots of local boat traffic over the holiday weekend. All being well, (the postal Gods deliver Tim"s new anchor windlass today, and weather Gods co-operate) will depart Boqueron for Puerto Real, just a couple of miles west, where both boats will refuel and Tim will get his part. Then, it will be an evening departure to cross the Mona Passage en-route to Luperon. Cruising time will be 30 hours plus, arriving in Luperon, DR in daylight sometime Monday morning. We will be out of phone and email range durin g that period, so will wish everyone a Happy Easter. If plans do not gel, we will be waiting for Tim's windlass and the next suitable weather window to cross to Dominican Republic.
Fueled yesterday in Puerto Real and drowned our sorrows with a great fresh caught fish dinner at the restaurant next door to marina. One of the best meals in Puerto Rico.

April 23
The guys have gone to Mayaguez by taxi to obtain an out bound clearance from Customs. While not required for US flagged vessels, it has be strongly suggested by US Customs official in Ponce, so that there will be no chance of not complying with DR requirements and being subject to possible fines, wink wink, nudge nudge......if you know what I mean!

Entering Ponce harbour, we were welcomed with a large dolphin swimming effortlessly and with such grace beneath our bow. The water was so clear, we were able to watch his/her evey move.

After a brief stop in Ponce for interviews with Customs for the Small Vessel Program registration, we were off to La Parguera for a couple of days. Ponce Customs building is across the street from the Coast Guard building, which sits on the waterfront. It was an interesting experience to say the least. We had been warned by two Customs officers not to leave a dingy unattended there. We left Jan aboard the boats and the rest of us dinghied ashore. Tim stayed with the dink while we visited Customs. The building is barred,  locked on all four sides with cameras everywhere. Eventually we found a door buzzer and the guard granted us entry.
Once inside, we were greeted by the Customs officer, who took our documentaion for verification, while we waited outside in the foyer. We never left the foyer, where the security guard sits, and I knew it was a tough area when all the institutional plastic chairs in the foyer were locked together and chained to the wall, even though we were in a locked building with security guard monitoring the door and cameras. Business complete, we high tailed it back to the boats and weighed anchor for La Parguera.

Upon arrival in La Parguera, the trade winds had picked up, causing white caps inside the protective reef. We sought protection amidst the mangroves and dropped anchor inside Cayo Bayo, closer to shore than our previous visit. Nothing had changed, except a little more construction was underway, a good sign in this struggling economy.

We spent New Years Eve in La Parguera and now we would spend part of Easter weekend here. We were once again greeted by the colorful, cute waterfront homes decorating the canals as we dinghied ashore through the mangroves.

The town was much more vibrant and alive than our last visit, but Easter weekend is fast approaching, and  dispose of trash and do some minor provisioning found this quaint little town much more alive than our last visit. We stopped at Yolanda's Restaurant for happy hour beers and empanadas. The owners and waitress Lisa rememb ered us from our New Year stay and were genuinely pleased to have us return. It was a good feeling to be remembered and appreciated, made for a sense of belonging in this friendly town.

La Parguera from our anchorage





Once again, the police blimp, or "Eye in the Sky" was soaring above us, and we were able to witness it being lowered and raised from our boat. Not sure if it was comforting or not to know that "Big Brother" was watching.

The locals told us that Easter weekend would be very busy, that was evident from all the boats claiming their favorite anchorage spot out around Cayos Caricoles, just a mile or so from shore.  Boat traffic continued to build, and we were sure that by Saturday, one would be able to step boat to boat to reach the islands without touching water.




We got a first hand view as we departed through the channel, bound for Boqueron. Looks like a busy weekend brewing, even in this charming, sleepy little town.

Isla Caja des Muertes

Isla Caja des Muertes



Apprroaching Coffin Island

 Another stunningly beautiful island, located on Puerto Rico’s south shore, about six miles southeast of Ponce. Isla Caja des Muertes, also referred to as Coffin Island, some say because of it’s wedge-like coffin shape, while others say the island got it’s name from the tragic love story of a Jose, a Portuguese pirate, who fell in love with a married woman from Curacao. Shortly after her husband died, they were married but she was killed in an attack shortly thereafter. Stories say that he had her embalmed and hid her coffin in a cave on Isla Caja des Muertes. It was rumored that Jose had treasure hidden in the caves, but it appears that his treasure was his bride. Her body was found years later and returned to St. Thomas for burial.

 Aside from the morbid story, this island is stunningly beautiful and tranquil, especially during the week days.
There are a few mooring balls available in several areas, mostly along the western end of the island and anchoring is also reasonable there. Park Rangers man the island and daily ferry service is available from Ponce. Outside of the ranger station and ferry dock area, there are no services available.

This was our third attempt to visit the island. Previous attempts in January found the anchorage untenable, due to wind, waves and ocean surge. Thankfully, we met with success on our third attempt. It was so tranquil and beautiful, and of course calm; we decided to spend three glorious days. We were ready for some R and R
after the fiasco encountered by Kaos and Lamb Chop while in Salinas, but that's another story.

The lighthouse atop of the island was built in 1897 and is one of eighteen built by the Spanish. It is operational today, although looking a bit tired.
We walked the trail (about a mile) up to the lighthouse and the top of the island. Although not overly challenging, the trail is certainly not for small children or anyone with any physical impairment.



Jaguey tree (wild fig)

The landscape is rugged and arid with a diversity of vegetation.

The Jaguey is a wild fig tree that wraps itself around other trees, eventually strangling them.
Various species of cacti or succulents are prevalent, yet lush green spring growth and flowers are evident on some trees.




Cacti on the trail

 



Lonely spring blossom

 

 

Part of the trail up to the lighthouse is shaded and parts are exposed volcanic rock, exposed to the sun and elements. The view from the top was incredible on this clear, sunny morning.

Last part of the ascent

The views of the island and mainland as we ascended were gorgeous, and were totally awesomewere from the top.

Entrance to lighthouse

Well worth the time and energy to reach the summit!

Prior to our hike up to the lighthouse, we circumnavigated the small island before the winds kicked up. Seas were calm all around the island and it was a perfect morning to be out sightseeing in the dink. At the eastern tip of the island we found numerous floating cones displaying the dive flag, although it almost looked like a slalom ski course.

 The waters were shallow and coral reefs evident beneath the surface. We carefully navigated through the area. The orange dive moorings and floating cones all looked new, and we assumed that a dive site was being set up.

 Later we encountered several small boats and jet skis roaring around and witnessed numerous boats and jet skis while atop of the island.

A local sailor later told us that the Governor was visiting the underwater park, which certainly accounted for all the small boat and jet ski activity, as well as the small plane buzzing overhead.

We tied to a mooring ball, where the water was crystal clear and shallow enough for both Alan and Tim to dive and scrape the myriad of accumulated growth from the bottom of the boats. This activity attracted numerous fish who came to see what all the activity was about, and if there was a free meal to be had.

Alan donned some old work swim trunks, and I think gravity has affected his girth, and when he dove under the water, his trunks slipped, exposing his tan line and (plumber butt). It was quite hilarious from my vantage point.

The rest of our time was spent enjoying some R and R on the beach and in the water. Of course, this was interspersed with happy hours and beach BBQs. Unfortunately, Susann’s skin cancer means she has to be covered most of the time and limit sun exposure. This kind of beauty is a rarity and occasional exceptions are accommodated.


Dogs anyone?



Chef Tim at work


 After three glorious days, it was time to depart and head to Ponce for a brief stop to visit Customs, before continuing to La Parguera for a few days while we wait for Tim’s replacement windlass (winch

Esperanza, Vieques

This morning was a leisurely departure since Esperanza is about 10-12 miles, a 90 minute cruise from Ensenada Honda.
Mike exercised prior to departure, swimming for about an hour and a half up and down Ensenada Honda. The rest of us enjoyed fresh brewed coffee accompanied by a good serving of natural beauty and serenity.
Cruising conditions were much more comfortable today. Enroute, we learned via radio that Canadian friends Charlene and Bill aboard RSVP, had their dinghy stolen the previous evening while at anchor in Esperanza Harbour. The dinghy was locked to the boat and when the thieves couldn't cut through the cable, they cut the lock. Other petty thefts occurred such as theft of a dinghy fuel tank. These things can happen anywhere, and remind us to be vigilant and not become complacent. Having had our dinghy stolen four years ago in Nassau, we can certainly understand how Bill and Charlene feel, and understand that such an event does color one's view on the area. Anxious to replace their loss and continue their travels, Bill and Charlene departed Esperanza for St. Thomas. Having said all this, at no time on our travels have we felt threatened or unsafe. Thefts can occurr anywhere, inspite of taking all possible precautions.

Upon arrival in Esperanza, we found the harbour quite rolly and elected to head just East to anchor at the East end of Sun Bay Beach.

We have anchored here before and enjoy the proximity to the long crescent beach.
We were later joined by sailing friends Chris and Robin aboard Toucan Dream, who we last saw in Rum Cay, Bahamas in early December.  Tim and Jan aboard Lamb Chop arrived early that afternoon. The rest of the day was spent on the beach and soaking in the water as we all caught up on one and others travels.
The following day we arranged to go for dinner at the Tradewinds Hotel in town. As a result of Bill and Charlene's dinghy theft, we were uncomfortable leaving our dinks tied at the public dock. Tim offered to provide dinghy service for all eight of us, and ferried ashore to the beach, where we had arranged to have Lolo, one of the local publico vans pick us up and drive us the short distance to town. We arranged to call Lolo later when we were ready to be picked up and returned to the beach, where we had tied and locked Tim's dinghy to a tree.

It was a fun evening. We enjoyed cocktails at the bar and dinner out on the open air terrace, overlooking the harbour. Tradewinds special that Friday was fresh lobster, which was delicious.

We were serenaded for a short while with latin music, comming from the mobile DJ, driving up and down the street.

Camraderie was outstanding, food, service and ambience were excellent and I would not hesitate to return to this quaint little hotel.

A great time was had by all, and Tim's dink was still locked to the tree on the beach when we returned. Life is good!

 Vieques is well known for the many wild horses that roam the island. En-route to the restaurant, we saw a herd that appeared oblivious to humans and continued grazing at the side of the road.

The horses also come down to the beach early in the morning and we were fortunate to see them accompanied by a couple of foals.   

Next morning was another dawn departure. Kaos was heading to Palmas del Mar, on the East coast of Puerto Rico, Toucan Dream was off to St. Thomas, and Lamb Chop was staying in Vieques for another day. 

Spanish Virgins, #2 (Culebra and Vieques)

We spent the next couple of days hunkered down in the calm and tranquil Alvamodar Bay anchorage. Alvamodar is between Culebrita and Ensenada Honda (Dewey). The anchorage is very protected from all directions by the reef surrounding it.

This spacious anchorage quickly became a favorite of ours, and many other cruisers. There are about 8 mooring balls, which are all occupied in unsettled weather, with other boats at anchor.
We visited frequently prior to the arrival of our guests and found that on weekends the large sport fish yachts arrive from Fajardo. They anchor stern to the reef and appear to fish the reef at night.

On previous visits, we met up with fellow "Loopers"

Early Out and La Garza Verde. One just never knows who or when you will meet up with a previous cruising aquaintance.



Early Out at anchor





The 360 degree view here is incredible, whether it is looking toward land and the hills, the reef at low tide, Culebrita Island, or on a clear day, St Thomas in the distance. 



Tip of Culebrita from Alvamodar Bay

Weather was unsettled with wind and rain, but we spent a quiet couple of days swimming and relaxing, before being joined by Lamb Chop and friends Tim and Jan.



St. Thomas in distance



Once weather settled somewhat,  Kaos departed for Vieques, leaving Lamb Chop and crew to spend a few more days in Culebra.

Out in the open waters, we discovered that the seas were not as calm as they appeared from the anchorage. Trudi and Mike were still sleeping when we departed and did not surface until we arrived at Blue Beach on Vieques, two and a half hours later. The boat was wallowing and rolling from side to side and I was sure they would roll out of bed. Apparently they didn't, but they were ecstatic once our course changed and we approached the south shore of Vieques, putting the waves and swell on our stern and smoothing out the ride.

Blue Beach, Vieques (south shore)
The winds were still calm as we anchored off the stunning Blue Beach, in Bahia de la Chiva. The US Navy occupied the island for the past couple of decades, using the area for naval and aerial bombardment practice. In 2003 the naval exercises ceased and cleanup has been ongoing. The navy's departure left Blue Beach, their former recreation available for public use. Most beach areas have been cleared of unexploded ordinances however, some areas have signs requesting that one does not venture away from the beach since cleanup is still in progess.

A dinghy ride to shore and walk along the long, silky white sand beach followed as soon as the anchor
 was down.

Blue Beach

Once we returned to the boat for lunch, the swell was causing the boat to wallow once again, making Mike yearn for terre firma. In an effort to minimize the roll, and have the swell hit the bow, not the side, we attached a rope to the anchor chain and as it tightened, tied it to the side of the boat, pulling the bow around and making the ride significantly more tolerable. Once again, we headed to shore to walk and swim, returning as the wind and seas picked up.
Another "Kaos" moment occurred when we tried to release the side line and retrieve the anchor. The wind was strong and Kaos acts as a huge sail, with the rope ending up under the keel and bottom of the boat. We could not disconnect it from the anchor chain, nor move it away from the shafts, since it was bar taught. The only way to safely release it without damage to the running gear at this point was to cut the rope, which we did with a serated edge knife. Of course, this was our longest rope, and the one in best shape; naturally it couldn't be one of the chafed ones that need replacing, so now we add one more rope to the shopping list. Thankfully, the tension was released, rope retrieved and anchor pulled up.  We were now headed to the calm anchorage in Ensenada Honda, just a couple of miles east of Blue Beach. Once inside the reef, we tucked into the south west corner, dropped anchor and spent a quiet overnight, savouring the silence and solitude.
Next morning we are off to the beachside town of Esperanza to meet up with friends and neighbors from Port St Lucie who are enroute to the BVI's aboard their sailing catamarans.

The Spanish Virgin Islands with Trudi and Mike

Culebrita April 4

Once the happy wanderers returned to Kaos, we decided to up anchor and head over to beautiful Culebrita, since the winds are forecast to strengthen over the next few days. We were afraid that we might miss our opportunity to show them this beautiful island paradise, complete with a gorgeous white sand horseshoe beach and the jaccuzzi’s if we didn’t act quickly. When the wind and swell are up, the moorings in Culebrita become very rolly and uncomfortable, and one can be trapped for a few days.

We moved the boat, and once securely tied to the mooring ball, we had a swim and walk along the beach. Kaos and two sail boats were the only vessels over-nighting in Culebrita.

As we returned from our swim ashore, we found the bow of the boat covered with about 200 sleepy bees. We had been told that other boats had similar recent encounters. While they didn’t seem to be bothersome, Alan is allergic to them, so we opted to close up the boat and turn on the A/C for the rest of the evening. As darkness fell, the bees disappeared.

Overnight the wind increased slightly and the ocean swell rolled into the anchorage, causing the boat to roll from side to side. The roll became increasingly noticeable, so we deployed a stern anchor with dinghy. It was not the easiest of jobs to pull the boat against the wind, as we tried to point the bow into the swell, thus reducing the sideways roll and increasing passenger comfort. It quickly became evident that conditions would continue to deteriorate, so we decided to head over to visit the Jacuzzis while we could.

The tide was rising, so we were fortunate to experience the Jacuzzi phenomenon when the waves rolled and crashed through the opening in the rocks. While swimming in the pools, the sunshine was punctuated with much cloud cover. Still, it was a great and relaxing experience.

When we returned to Kaos a short while later, the wind was up and the bees had returned, so it was an easy decision to depart and head for the calm of our favourite Alvomodar Bay, just a few miles away.

Heading out of the Culebrita anchorage, we took some heavy seas on the side, causing Kaos to roll for about fifteen minutes, until we could clear the reefs and make our turn. The ride smoothed out, but Mike was feeling a bit queasy.

The rset of the afternoon was spent relaxing and swimming off the back of the boat in Alvomodar Bay, as we watched the waves crash outside of the reef protecting our anchorage.


April 3 Fuladosa Bay

Alan, Trudi  and Mike dinghied ashore and walked up to the Bahia Marina Resort (no marina here) for lunch and swim afternoon at their pool. Trudi treated herself to a great massage in the pagoda overlooking the bay from Susan, the massage therapist. She said the massage really helped loosen her troublesome back, and was the best she has experienced.

As a result of skin cancer, Susann has to limit her sun exposure, and chose to remain aboard and out of the sun for this afternoon.

Once the happy wanderers returned to Kaos, we decided to up anchor and head over to beautiful Culebrita, since the winds are forecast to strengthen over the next few days. We were afraid that we might miss our opportunity to show them this beautiful island paradise, complete with a gorgeous white sand horseshoe beach and the jaccuzzi’s if we didn’t act quickly. When the wind and swell are up, the moorings in Culebrita become very rolly and uncomfortable, and one can be trapped for a few days.

We moved the boat, and once securely tied to the mooring ball, we had a swim and walk along the beach. Kaos and two sail boats were the only vessels over-nighting in Culebrita.

As we returned from our swim ashore, we found the bow of the boat covered with about 200 sleepy bees. We had been told that other boats had similar recent encounters. While they didn’t seem to be bothersome, Alan is allergic to them, so we opted to close up the boat and turn on the A/C for the rest of the evening. As darkness fell, the bees disappeared.

April 2

Trudi and Mike awoke refreshed to a windy but warm and sunny day, and no snow in sight. We had a choppy and sometimes wet dinghy ride into town for breakfast at Mamacita’s.

Mamacitas on the canal

We were greeted by one of the resident iguannas sunning himself on the dinghy dock. Following breakfast, we walked through town and did some grocery shopping.

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I think Dewey was smaller and more rustic than Trudi envisioned. Since we did not wish to swim in the busy harbour, we moved the boat down a mile to Fulodosa Bay, where the water is clear and is flushed twice a day with the tides.

A relaxing afternoon was spent swimming off the back of the boat and enjoying the warm, sunny weather.

April 1, 2011 Dewey, Culebra

We departed Alvomodar Bay, one of our favorite anchorages after coffee, for the three mile trip into Dewey, the only town on Culebra. It is Friday, the day that the produce truck arrives from the mainland and sets up along the roadside. We, like many other cruisers and locals, head off in search of some fresh veggies and fruit.

Bridge at canal entrance

Dewey from anchorage

Susann’s sister Trudi and husband Mike arrive from Canada for a ten day visit with us here in the Spanish Virgin Islands. Alan greeted two weary but happy travellers at the airport, then dinghied them back to Kaos.

Dock for dinghys at El Batey

They were weary after three flights and a long day of travel. Their flight into Dewey from San Juan was aboard a six seater, twin engine plane that they said sounded like a lawn mower when it started up. It was just a 30 minute flight and they made it here safely.