Monday, March 16, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

Look at where we are!  Let’s see; where to start this saga.  How about a quick lesson in sailing tactics? 

We knew that north winds were predicted for the next 3-4 days once we arrived in Boqueron.  This fit our plans to head to Ponce on the south side of the Puerto Rican island.  With the island between us and the howling north wind, as long as we stayed within a couple of miles of the shoreline, we would be protected and have relatively flat seas in which to motor sail.

Cabo Roja, PR

When we hoisted anchor at 6:30 am on Sunday morning, we intended to motor sail in these calm conditions to Ponce.  At any other time, this would have been rather an aggressive undertaking but in these conditions, it was perfect.  In fact, instead of arriving in the mid to late afternoon, we arrived just after 1pm. 

Dale tried several times on different channels to hail Ponce Yacht Club to request permission to enter and obtain fuel and a slip for the night.  This was met with no response.  As there were many boats out and about in the area, we took the chance and simply pulled into the marina and up to the fuel pier.  We saw a couple of men standing by the fueling pumps, so we maintained our approach.  Then just as we arrived, one went into the building and returned, gloved up and wearing a mask!  We were able to refuel but were refused a slip as they were no longer taking any new transients who had been in the country for less than 2 weeks.  We were informed that no marina on the entire island would be accepting newcomers.  We paid for our fuel and a bag of ice and decided that with the great conditions, we would continue on to Rosey Roads to see if they were still open to retired military personnel. 

About an hour and a half later, while Dale was monitoring the water maker, an alarm went off at the helm station that sounded for all it was worth like an Amber Alert back home—only longer—and what seemed like much louder.  It was a startling noise and one I couldn’t make sense of.  I checked the chart plotter, all of the helm instruments, yelled down to Dale to come look but he hadn’t even heard the noise, which was now silent.  No clues as to what the alarm was indicating. 

About an hour after that, we got a text from Gerry and Nicky that Puerto Rico had, for all intents and purposes, been closed.  It said:

To all cruisers sailors and maritime industry partners in Puerto Rico:  CBP is open and ports are open to private vessels for the time being.  The only entity allowed to shut down entrance to a port is the US Coast Guard.  The local government has shut down certain docks to prevent entrance of cruise ships and some commercial vessels.  Private vessels are still allowed entrance at the discretion of Customs and Border Patrol which continues to operate at regular hours.

However, please be aware that there is a lockdown and only essential service personnel is allowed to be in the streets after 9PM.  Restaurants, bars, tourism attractions and all other non essential businesses will be closed as of today at 6PM until March 30, 2020.  During the day, you are only allowed on the streets if you are going to the grocery store, doctor’s, pharmacy or picking up food from a carry out/delivery restaurant.  Cruise ships are not allowed to come into Puerto Rico.  I urge you to call into the marina or port well before your entry to confirm any new changes or restrictions.  The situation is changing rapidly.  Be safe. 

When I picked up my phone to read this, I saw that the alarm I had previously been startled by, was in fact, an Emergency Notice, stating that the governor of Puerto Rico had enacted this curfew. 

I guess you can say that this is the closest that I ever want to get to martial law.  Dale and I made the immediate decision that with the favorable conditions, to continue through the night to St. Thomas and regroup with Gerry and Nicky to take on the world. 

Remember the last time I posted, I had climbed on my soap box and shouted for all to hear that I thought this was a lot of hype!  Fate, Karma, or God’s sense of humor, has a way of putting you in your place from time to time.  Consider me properly chastised. 

With the decision made, it was only a matter of placing a few more waypoints into the chart plotter and then aiming for the second star to the right and continuing on until morning. 

Eye in the Sky

Most of the afternoon and the late evening were perfect.  However, once we came out from the protection of Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra or Culebrita, the wind would howl, the sails would strain, the auto pilot would be over taxed, the boat would start pounding and the last 5 hours of our trip were just down right miserable.  In fact, about 10 pm, our mail sheet gave way, so we turned into the wind, lowered our sails so that Dale could climb on the hard top to secure the boom from swinging.  We had already noticed that our jib halyard was starting to stretch to the point where the clutch couldn’t hold it tight once it was raised, so we added it and the broken main sheet to our growing list of things to be addressed once we landed somewhere. 

South Coast of PR

About 10 am Monday morning, we began our way into the entrance of Charlotte Amalie.  Gerry and Nicky hailed us on the radio saying that they could see us entering but that they were in fact, just leaving to go refuel.  Whoa!  We’re too close for you to get out of our sight now.  Although Dale was exhausted, I managed to talk him into topping off our tank as well.  I liken this to being prepared for hurricanes well before they arrive on your doorstep.  If we’re already fueled, we don’t have to get in line in case we have to move quickly for whatever reason. 

After that, we followed them back to the anchorage, circled around until we found just the right spot, dropped our anchor in 26’ of water and settled in.  Again, I talked an exhausted Dale into adding the kellet to the anchor arrangement as we had to use a rather short scope in this very crowded anchorage.  As the winds are piping up this evening, I feel better that we have a bit more weight to hold us in place. 

Gerry and Nicky appeared shortly thereafter with sodas and beer to welcome us to the neighborhood and a quick catch up before making a courteous retreat so that we could dive below for hot showers and a couple of hours rest. 

So now you know why we are in St. Thomas instead of Puerto Rico.  Dale and Gerry have already started making plans for repairs, purchasing parts, mailing parts back to the US, and basically, all of the things we were going to do in Puerto Rico, which we will now do here.  Gerry and Nicky are very well acquainted with this area as they have been here going on 2 months, cooling their jets waiting for us to finally show up, so now they are our guides to all places wonderful:  like Price Smart, Home Depot, marine chandleries and all of the best and least expensive places to eat. 

What can I say?  We’re alive, well, and all of our plans going forward, are firmly entrenched in jello.  Daily we’re hearing of more and more islands, limiting or out right closing their borders to cruisers.  I really don’t know where that will leave us but among the 4 of us, we should be able to tackle anything that we might encounter.   As always, wish us luck.