Friday, March 13, 2020

At Sea, Day 2
Along the Dominican Republic and
Across the Mona Passage
18.39.694
67.54.865W

Thank heavens the conditions were better than forecasted.  We motor sailed during most of the time in light winds and then . . . we turned off the engines, raised the jib and sailed when the winds filled in.  Again, nothing but big (sometimes 10-12’) well spaced swells to raise us up to view what was over the next swell and then back down.

Day 2, At Sea, Dominican Republic

Sometime around 5pm, we heard our first USCG radio transmission blasting out from San Juan.  I can’t tell you how happy that made us feel.  Dale let out with a whoop!   It was as if we were being welcomed home and then comforting to know that if something awful happened, help was only a radio call away.  We will never take our country’s benefits for granted. 

Reflection of Sunset heading to Puerto Rico

It became clear that we were going to get to our destination of Boqueron, PR, well ahead of our schedule, so we didn’t mind when the next big round of confused seas appeared around Hourglass Shoals and then later around a small island in the Mona Passage.  The unnerving part, was that I didn’t see any type of lights on the well charted island at all. Once we made our way past it, we were again motor sailing along at a pretty good clip in Puerto Rico’s wind shadow at about 7 kts running 1500 rpms; it was that calm.  No doubt a current was helping us as well. 

Other than that, we’re going to be in Puerto Rico tomorrow morning for sure.