Monday, March 23, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

No Safari on Sunday

Well I guess the Corona virus is finally starting to have an effect on us.  Yesterday, we thought we’d take the “safari bus” to Home Depot and spend the day over in that direction but after standing for 30 minutes waiting for one, we finally gave up the effort. 

I have a weakness for sailors

Nicky and I tried to pick up a sailor we found loitering on the wharf.  We didn’t have much success.  He was the strong, silent type.  He wouldn’t even buy us a drink. 

Nicky likes sailors too!

We eventually walked over to a Chinese restaurant the guys found for lunch and were able to sit inside but several other restaurants were only open for take out.  We saw a bunch of cruisers setting up their own lawn chairs in the parking lot to wait.  Wonder how that works in the scheme of things. 

Today, all restaurant business is completely take out.  Dale and Gerry had taken a taxi over to the UPS store to return the faulty water maker (which Dale said was surprisingly easy,) finally made it to Home Depot before returning on the “safari bus” and walked over to McDonalds while Nicky and I were doing laundry but had to stand in the drive through lane to order.  This threw every order off as there was no way for them to order through the vehicle activated radio and instead just walked up to the pick up window.  They got their food but it showed that there were others trying to order take out that the restaurants weren’t addressing. 

As I mentioned, Nicky and I had gathered our laundry today and walked a couple of blocks to the launderette to complete the task.  Talk about taking a day to do one thing, this was another example.  We had first dinghied in to the sail loft to see if I could order the replacement foam for our sling seat.  We had no sooner opened the door when the woman sitting inside said “that’s about 6 foot,” she could have said “reach for the sky” in the tone she used.  Once it was determined that they didn’t have any in stock and she made it sound as if it would be a huge imposition and gamble to order some prepaid, we left. 

There happened to be a hair salon in the same complex, I called to Nicky as we walked out the door that I was going to see if I could get my bangs cut.  A woman at the other end of the hallway said that all businesses were closed.  So much for my (hairdresser) niece’s comment that women would still get their hair done regardless of what was going on in the world.  Maybe she meant that we would want to get our hair done. 

Dinghy Madness

Of course, all of this moving around required getting on and off at the dinghy dock.  Today must have been the day when every boat in the anchorage went stir crazy and had to get off their respective boats as dinghies were 2 and 3 deep at the dock.  At one point Nicky and I were trapped inside so I put the engine in reverse, revved up the engine a bit, and then the two of us pushed and shoved our way out.  Obviously, we made it but . . . dang!

Tonight, we’ve decided to shelter in place; or in other words, we have to use up our left overs. 

The plan now is to hoist anchor tomorrow, if we can get it out of the mud, and move over to Francis Bay so that the guys can clean the bottom of the boats.  We may or may not see Texas Crewed and Rum Truffel as they were going to move in the same direction yesterday or today.  Not really sure what kind of WiFi I’ll find, so it may be a couple of days before you hear from us again.  Don’t worry, none of us has a sniffle or cough and no one has been partying hard enough for anyone to be thrown in jail.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.  The wind started howling again, the boat started swinging and I started getting up to make sure we weren’t going anywhere.  Although I didn’t turn on the wind instruments, I’m sure that there were a couple of 30 kt gusts.  Later in the day, Gerry said that he did see 27kts once. 

At one point I had sat straight up in bed realizing that I was getting wet.  In my effort to close the hatch, I had to undo the screen and ended up slapping myself in the face with it and by the time I got the hatch closed, I was drenching wet.  I sat there thinking about whether it was worth the effort to get up and towel off or just lay back down.  I elected to lay back down.  Into a puddle.  There is a tiny hatch over, yet behind our pillows that usually isn’t affected by rain as its at the end of the boat and straight up and down so rain is usually blown past it.  Not this time.  Now my pillow is wet.  Dale managed to sleep through it all.  Nicky said that she was considering putting a bar of soap next to the bed for such occasions.  I think she may be on to something there. 

Then it was up and down; up and down; making sure we weren’t moving.  Once morning arrived, Dale sent me back down to get some sleep and he started some maintenance on the water maker by cleaning the salt water strainer, etc.  Gerry came over a bit later with his wowie-zowie battery tester (as opposed to Dale’s basic one) and the Tinker Twins were at it again.  However, they did find that our port side starter battery was dead with a capital D.  Since the house batteries and the starter batteries are all connected together, the dead battery was draining the house batteries (the ones we just ordered new ones to replace).  Dale called around found a good price on a replacement starter battery (that was in stock), so the Twins were off.  They dinked over to pick it up and also found a couple of gallons of oil to change the oil in both engines.  They brought back the battery, installed it, discussed the ins and outs of all things battery related before Gerry headed back to his boat.   

After lunch, Dale changed oil in both engines with enough left over for another complete oil change in the future.  

In the meantime, Nicky was on her boat making crepes for dinner and I made another fruit pizza for dessert.  We all shared our dinner on Opal and discussed our situation, i.e we are somewhat stuck in the USVI for at least 2 weeks. 

We were informed that our replacement house batteries ordered and paid for won’t be arriving on the Monday in 2 days but the following Monday.  However, we still need to return the original water maker to the manufacturer via UPS, who isn’t open over the weekend and visit a sail loft in search of some foam to replace the sling seat interior.  (The foam I used a couple of years ago, although it drains water immediately and is used specifically for outdoor use, doesn’t hold up in the sun more than a couple of years.) Therefore, we’ve decided that we can get those last items completed either tomorrow or on Monday and then head over to St. John (still in the USVI) for a couple of days to scrub the bottom of our boats (and a change of scenery) before having to come back here to pick up the house batteries.  Gene on Texas Crewed said that they might be interested in joining our bottom cleaning venture. 

So, we’ve got a plan.  Let’s see how well we stick to it. 

Friday, March 20, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

I know for those who are reading this and have never lived aboard a boat, its hard to imagine that doing some grocery shopping would take an entire day; but it does. 

We had our list, assembled our bags (2 Sam’s insulated bags each and a backpack each), made sure we had singles for the “safari bus,” lowered the dink, bounced across the harbor, nosed our way into the dinghy dock, walked a couple of  blocks to the bus stop and then climbed aboard.  Gerry and Nicky had sussed out this information previously, so there was no angst in making sure we were on the right bus and going in the right direction.  Once there, we all crossed the street, walked down the hill about a block and a half and while Nicky and I went towards the store, Dale and Gerry had to check out the Auto Zone along the way. 

When we arrived at the front door, Nicky and I were rather surprised to see a long waiting line to get in.  We suspected that this was due to the virus situation, so we grabbed our carts and got in line.  Within 10 minutes, we were surprised to see the police come in and move everyone back, I think they were trying to put 6’ between each person but were only able to get a cart length and a bit between each of us.  Everyone was accommodating and I didn’t hear any real complaining.  During this time Dale and Gerry caught back up to us (which was good as Gerry had the membership card to get us in.) Then we were held in line and only allowed in as people exited.  So there must have been a limit as to how many people could actually be in the store at one time.  Once we entered, our carts were sprayed with Lysol and off we went.  There were store workers who would only allow so many people in a particular aisle.  I went through as quickly as possible but still managed to load up my cart to the point where, first Dale, then Nicky and then Gerry all made a point to tell me that I still had to carry it all back in our bags.  So, I put back some Diet Coke; but the rest of it was going dang it! The fact that I found Dale’s favorite cereal was worth all of the aggravation.  Then we got in another line, with lines taped out on the floor to govern distance between each cart to check out.  Once we checked out, we moved outside where I divided up our purchases into the various bags trying to balance the weight among them.  Believe it or not, it all fit and no one bag was too heavy to carry.  We trudged back up the hill, caught the returning “safari bus” to the anchorage, back to the dinghies to load everything, pushed and shoved our way out of the dinghy dock, bounced back to the boat and put everything away. 

Now mind you, this was the bulk store.  We took time to grab a quick bite for lunch, then it was time to go to the regular store for smaller items like milk and bread, so once again, back in the dink, bounce across the harbor, nose our way into the dinghy dock, walk a couple of blocks to the Pueblo (which is actually right across the street from the original bus stop) for the smaller items on our mutual lists.  Gerry and Nicky finished first and sent Dale to see where I had gotten lost at.  I finished up, paid, loaded up the bags again, then hiked back to the dinghy dock, loaded everything into the dinghy, pushed and shoved our way back out, located a place to buy a bag of ice, dinghied to it (around many multimillion dollar yachts) to the fuel dock for them, to beg like Oliver Twist from sea level to a very high dock, please sir, may I have a bag of ice? Then bounce back across the harbor to the boat, unload and put everything away. 

It is now 3:30pm.  I’m hosting the BBQ this evening, so start making preps.  We have a pleasant evening, although I was disappointed to find out I didn’t have a copy of the movie Mauna (only the music CD) which I had promised to show Nicky as she had never seen it but we were able to show her another movie she hadn’t seen called Passengers.  About being stranded on a ship in space and not the trip you signed up for.  Just as unforgiving when things go wrong but with the right mindset, can be a life worthwhile.  Rather apropos I’d say. 

And that’s how you can spend an entire day, just grocery shopping. 

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

Another day where what should have taken only a couple of hours, ended up being a full day’s project. 

Once again, I started the day removing rust stains on the boat, basically picking up where I had left off yesterday.  Gerry came over earlier and dropped Nicky off while he went in search of an impeller for his generator.  Dale had already replaced the fuel valve that had been “weeping” and was in the process of rebuilding the raw water pump that was leaking both oil and water and had spread tools, pieces and parts all over the cockpit. 

Tinkering Consultant and Tweaker in Chief

Once the rain started, I took Nicky back over to her boat to close the hatches and then we both returned to the Palace just as Gerry returned and then settled in to watch the magic happen. 

They had diagrams with circles and arrows (and a paragraph on the back of each one to be used as evidence against them), hammers, screwdrivers, sockets, wrenches, calipers; you name it, they had it and were using everything to tear the pump apart and put it back together again.  It was classic!  The Tweaker in Chief and his Tinkering Consultant were in hog heaven as they had oil up to their elbows, dirt under their fingernails and made lots of noise hammering and tinkering. 

Where the problem began was when they tried to put it back together again.  Apparently, the parts that had come out, suddenly didn’t fit going back in.  I was asked to put one part in the freezer to assist.  Of course!  Not a problem!  I understand physics.  Just wrap that nasty thing in a clean paper towel before I mix it in with our food. 

It Takes Two

Then the impeller for the pump didn’t fit over the shaft it had originally come off of.  They eventually had to file some piece quite a bit to make everything go back in place.  They were dumbfounded as to how a piece of steel could be warped to the extent that it had.  (Nicky suspected that it might have had something to do with all of the hammering to get everything apart.)  By 3:30pm, they had everything back together, the pump back in place, the engine started, water was flowing, with only a drip every 30 seconds or so.  I gather that it was an improvement.  I don’t know.  They’re happy.  The dang thing works, I’m happy. 

Although Nicky and I had planned on having another barbeque on our boat, Dale was exhausted and didn’t want to have to contend with getting the grill started and since it appears that grilling is in his realm solely, I wasn’t asked and certainly didn’t object when the guys decided that we were going out tonight.  Nicky and I located an Italian restaurant called Virgilio’s within walking distance, confirmed that they were open and serving dinner and then we all dashed for showers before heading out for a wonderful dinner.  I had lasagna, Dale had chicken parmesan, Gerry had fettuccine carbonara and Nicky had raw meat.  It was marinated and had a fancy name (carpaccio) but it was still raw meat. 

After returning to the Palace this evening, Dale saw where the State Department has issued a Level 4 advisory (usually only issued during times of war) advising all American citizens to return to the US as they may not be able to enter at a later date.   Really?  Just exactly how are we supposed to do that?  Abandon our property and fly home?  I thought all foreign flights had been cancelled already.  Hoist sails and head straight there?  It would take at least a month and by that time, I thought the powers that be presumed the restrictions would be lifted by then.  This is beyond madness. 

In any event, we’re going shopping tomorrow and yes, I am buying toilet paper as I haven’t bought any since leaving the US back in November.  I think we’re due some.  So now I need to make a list of what we should get before heading off to bed.  Stay sane folks, it’s a crazy world out there. 

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

Another productive day!

While Dale studied the boom and the how and where to run the main sheet, I lowered the dink and started cleaning the rust stains on the starboard side and worked my way down the side until the rain forced me to stop.  By that time, I was tired anyway. 

Gerry and Nicky came over shortly after that, so that the guys could replace the main sheet.  Although Dale had reviewed Utube videos from the maker of the boom and eventually called the installer of the boom, it became evident that this was not going to be a simple job.  It took them the better part of the day and they finally resolved the problem of not being able to run the line without jamming until they removed the pullies at both ends of the boom (one being riveted in place) and used every tool on both boats (including my straightened out clothes hanger with a hook at the end and Gerry’s shop vac) to complete the job.  Once done, I rewarded them both with ice water and chocolate chip cookies.  When completed, they had just enough time for Dale to catch 40 winks and Gerry to take a shower before Dale and I went over to Opal (Gerry and Nicky’s boat) for dinner. 

In the meantime, I ordered Dale’s prescriptions via a mobile app (that only works in the US; mainland or territories) and tried once again to clear up the issue of having an Experian app to lock our credit report while out of the country.  The long and short of it, I had to unlock the app for a week so that Dale can straighten out his Social Security/Medicare issues.)

While the guys were working on the boom earlier in the day, Nicky and I had divided the tasks and had formulated a dinner of chicken kabobs, sausages, Hasselback potatoes, salad and chocolate chip cookies. However, when Dale and I arrived, Gerry was elbow deep in his cockpit transom, trying to figure out why his generator had suddenly stopped.  The Tinker Twins were on it again!  Together they attacked the problem of non existent water cooling and by the time dinner was ready they had figured out the problem and corrected it (something to do with an impeller). 

It was a great dinner and one that was devoured with relish (for some reason, fresh air and sunshine makes you ravenous).  When Dale and I first left the Palace for Opal we had noticed smoke on the shore but really didn’t think too much about it.  By the end of the evening, there were a multitude of fire engines being police escorted from what looked like the airport to the ship terminal directly in front of us.  Not sure what was ablaze but it was becoming the talk of our evening. 

Gerry and Nicky caught up with Abigail, their daughter back in Australia, and apparently, things are just as crazy there as they are here.  Nothing on the shelves, people getting in fights over toilet paper and hand sanitizer and again, the world on edge and going crazy rather quickly.  We decided that being on boats, not within easy swimming distance, was probably the safest place to be during these times of stress and uncertainty.

Tomorrow, we’re hoping to either get our batteries that Dale ordered yesterday or go shopping for groceries (if any are to be found).  In either event, neither task will be an easy undertaking.  As always, wish us luck. 

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Charlotte Amalie, USVI
18.20.072N
64.55.483W

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Today was not only busy but also productive.  Gerry and Nicky came over about 9 am and then the boys took off for marine chandleries while Nicky and I caught up some more.  Also, I was tasked with contacting the marina we had intended to stay at during hurricane season as neither one of our boats had heard back from our original correspondences.  I was able to call the marina we had chosen, but I was directed to once again use the website to complete the reservation paperwork.  I sent an e-mail to them as I was directed.  Then, just to make sure we were covered, I contacted a second marina to have a Plan B, but this time, I was told that Trinidad was closed to any non-nationals until further notice.  The first marina had never mentioned that little tidbit.  Now what?  Since, there was nothing more I could do in that direction, I put it aside hoping that things will sort itself out by June.  I’ll keep sending e-mails. 

In the meantime, I could tell where the guys were by the pinging on my telephone detailing each purchase where our credit card had been used.  At about 11am, we thought we heard the guys returning but instead we were being hailed by Gene and Renee off Texas Crewed who are in the next harbor over with Rum Truffel. It was great to introduce some of our oldest friends to our newest friends.  Once the guys did return, we all decided to head into town for Roti’s.  Dale had a hankering for Roti’s the way I had for pinchos.  Roti’s are an East Indian street fare.  Sort of like curried chicken and potatoes in a burrito type of wrap.  They were delicious.  Then we all crossed the street to the tea shop to have tea for the ladies and beer for the guys.  Mine was a blend of green tea, white tea, mint and jasmine teas.  It was delicious and needed no sweetner.  I might have to go back there again. 

After that, we waddled back to our dinks and back to our boats.  Dale and Gerry ran the new line for the jib halyard but had a hard time trying to figure out the main sheet as it had to run through the bottom of the roller furling boom.  Apparently, the fish tape would only go so far before it would jam up.  So that task got put aside as well. 

Dale was able to order new batteries for the boat.  He had considered purchasing them before we left but I dragged my feet on it thinking that they hadn’t been used that much regardless of how old they were.  I was proven wrong and before they really go into the dumper, he wanted them replaced while we can at a reasonable price. 

The next task came about because Gerry and Nicky had seen a line coming from the bottom of our boat when they originally approached us in the morning, so once they returned to their boat, Dale grabbed a knife and jumped in to see what he could do to cut it loose.  He was able to get the majority of it off but there was a portion tightly wound around the shaft of the propeller that he couldn’t cut off no matter which direction he chose to attack it from.  As the prop was turning freely, he elected to leave the last bit on.  We’ll see what happens next on that decision.  Hopefully it will wear off and disappear.  If not, we’ll try a different approach when we have the boat hauled for bottom paint. 

We ended the day heading into the cruise dock terminal where we had dinner at a sports bar.  There are no cruise ships, so we might as well take advantage of it.  As it was pub fare and placed in to-go bags, we figured this was how they were getting around the “no more than 10, 25, 50” (depending upon which news you listened to) people in a gathering.  They couldn’t help it if we all decided to sit and eat at their tables.  We did notice that the police did come and speak with the bar tender but no action was taken with regard to moving us all along. 

Tomorrow will be more of the same, trying to check off as many items of our to do list as possible.  Until then . . .

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. 

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Boqueron, Puerto Rico
18.01.314N
67.10.789W

We made it!  Wahoo!  Puerto Rico, finally! 

As we approached our waypoint for Boqueron at the 5am shift change, we picked a place on the chart to drop our sails and then motored into the anchorage at ultra slow speed waiting for the sun to come up.  Dale took the time in the early rays to coil and tidy up the lines and then we made like the African Queen and putt putted into the harbor.  By the time we were close enough to chose an anchoring spot, the sun was rising and we were able to see that with the exception of a couple of small sailboats very close to shore, we were the only cruising boat in the harbor.  I found it odd as the last time we were here, there were probably 30-40 boats. 

We did our usual anchor routine and once we felt secure, turned off the engines and watched to make sure we weren’t going anywhere. 

Dale was first to use the hot water for a shower while I started sending out messages to let everyone know that we had made it safely.  Then I downloaded an app that Gerry and Nicky had told us about that the Customs and Border Protection Agency has for checking in.  It was a bit problematic putting in all of the information in the beginning as I don’t like leaving my camera, microphone and GPS info on in my phone but once I figured out how to access all of the accessories, checking in was a breeze.  During the telephone interview, I was cautioned not to take any food off the boat and to check in advance of our next stop to make sure the marinas were actually opened and I was asked if everyone onboard was healthy.  These last questions set the tone for the remainder of the day.

Now that we were officially checked in, secure, tidy and our friends and family knew that we had arrived, we laid down for naps.  Dale had no problem but I found once you get into a rhythm of sleeping for only a couple of hours and then wide awake, that continues for a bit.  It was enough to refresh ourselves, so once Dale was up, he was raring to go. 

By this time, the normal wave action had begun, so when we released the dinghy from the davits, it swung wildly from side to side getting more and more uncontrollable with each swing.  Dale grabbed it from the side and I from the top, we were finally able to get in under control long enough to drop it into the water.

We struggled into it (with Dale commenting that it had been since George Town that we had to climb from the Palace into the dink) and then took off for town and Pinchos!  I found myself eagerly anticipating the taste of the garlic butter chicken pieces on a stick the roadside vendors sell. 

Unfortunately, that was just a day dream.  We motored into what had been a community dock only to find it barely standing.  We motored over to a more stable dock but there was a gate on it that was locked, so although we could tie up the boat, we couldn’t get from the dock to town or back without a swim.  So we tried motoring down towards the marina at the opposite end of the harbor.  Again, no dinghy docks, locked gates and no one offering any suggestions.  At that point, we decided that we were no longer welcome in Boqueron, so we headed back to the Palace where I was (apparently) in a less than happy mood. I think I was just hungry.

To keep myself entertained, I started catching up on all of the emails I had sent out earlier.  Gerry and Nicky had just learned that the BVIs are requiring a 24 hour advance notice to enter; they are in the USVIs and had not learned how this was actually supposed to happen but that the powers that be had closed some of the outlying entry points to stream line those checking in to those in the larger more congested areas.  Then Gene and Renee sent word that they had heard Ponce was closing their marina to any new boats coming in.  Dale got on the phone and tried calling but could only get in touch with the security guard, whose English was limited but we were told to come on in and call when we got there.  OK, we can do that.  We have to go in that direction anyway.  I just don’t like the idea of using fuel if there’s no possibility of getting more where we’re headed.  Some of my cruising sites are talking about various countries (that we intend to visit) are closing their ports to arriving vessels, if said vessel had been in a previous country with the virus. 

OK enough!  This is getting ridiculous!  I’m not saying that its not serious but come on folks, it’s the flu!  More people are killed in car accidents in the US in a year than all of the people around the world have been killed by this virus.  My kids have always said that I was a germaphobe anyway because of the way I use hand sanitizer frequently, so I find all of this more than I can understand.  Use soap and water, cover your mouth when you cough, go to bed if your sick; all the things I tried to instill in my little ones is just common sense in my mind. 

So now I’ll come off my soap box to say that tomorrow morning bright and early, we’ll move farther east to Ponce, or the anchorage outside of Ponce to see if we can come in, take on fuel or get handed our hats.  See ya’ll later. 

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. 

Thursday, March 12, 2020

At Sea 
Along the Dominican Republic
19.43.075N
69.59.971W

Dale was able to hear our weather guru clearly this morning and downloaded our weather information so that we could meet the others up at the marina office.  I got a sneak peek before they arrived and we found the conditions acceptable.  We also decided that if things deteriorated, we would pull into Samana at the far eastern end of the Dominican Republic and wait it out. 

The others arrived and we were anxious to catch up with Tim on Never Say Never as he had found a melted glob of wires belonging to his alternator wiring harness on his port engine the evening before preparing for departure.  Dale loaned him his electrical connection box with accoutrements and had offered assistance last evening but as it was found late in the day and would take the better part of the evening to repair, Tim declined the assistance but accepted all the pieces and parts.  Well, we thought all the pieces.  Apparently, there was a relay that he had to locate today but being fluent in Spanish, he was able to find one in an auto parts store.  But I digress.

In spite of the reasonably good forecast, Louise and Robin, on Zandolee, decided that they wanted to take short hops across as Robin doesn’t sleep on transits and they thought it best to break it up with a stop in Samana.  We were actually rather surprised when Tim and Rosie agreed that they wanted to break up the trip, so that the boys would have a chance to get off the boat each day as well.  OK, so we’re on our own. 

Leaving Ocean World, Dominican Republic

The decisions were made that we would leave at noon and they would leave around 2pm; that way all of us would arrive at our destinations in daylight hours.   Dale checked us out of the marina, customs, then immigration but we had to wait to get our “Dispatchio” from the Coasta Guarda until they came down to the boat.  I busied myself securing the interior as best as I could, checking our waypoints and then made a quick lunch waiting for the Navy to arrive.  Once all of the paperwork was completed, we cast our lines and slowly (so Dale could put away all of the lines and fenders) made our way to the marina entrance and out into the channel.  We had anticipated that the exit might be a bit bumpy as every once in a while, we could still see waves cresting the breakwater walls but it actually wasn’t bad at all. 

As we had been advised, the later we went, the better the conditions.  This proved to be accurate.  We stayed anywhere between 1-5 miles off the coast and made our way east.  The swells were well spaced, so no matter the size, they were easily traversed; simply up and down like a cork.  We tried to hail the other 2 boats when we saw a squall approaching but it was about the time they were trying to leave so they didn’t hear us.

That squall ended up being the worst part of the day.  We didn’t get any rain but the winds and waves were most decidedly confused and nasty.  We were motor sailing at the time, so it really didn’t matter, as we just slowed down and took the pounding.  If it had continued that way, we would have pulled into Samana.  However, as soon as we got on the other side of the squall line, the wind and seas subsided and it was a very pleasant trip along the northern coast. 

I did win the “I Spy with my little Eye” game this time.  Dale is usually the one who can spot a boat on the horizon before I can even focus.  One was 3 bundles of . . . something . . . that I didn’t want to touch looking terribly illegal (could have been a homemade fishing float and my imagination took over) another was during the night when what I thought was a shadow became more clear as a large round fender.  Finally, the one that gives me nightmares, was a large metal channel marker buoy off on its own across the ocean.  Any boat hitting that in the middle of a moonless night is going to have some major problems.  We dodged all of them and lived to sail another day. 

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Ocean World, Dominican Republic
19.49.685N
70.43.853W

Today we were able to hear our weather guru perfectly although Dale said that it didn’t sound like things had changed too much from yesterday.  The one thing that did set Dale’s heart a twitter, was that when someone in Luperon (the next harbor down) asked about a transit to Puerto Rico during the Thursday-Saturday time frame, they were told that it was definitely “doable”.  Best news we’ve heard in a long time as Chris (the weather guru) has a reputation for being a bit of a pessimist and overly cautious. 

As the next brainstorming session was scheduled for 9am up at the marina lobby, I decided to clean the rust off the boat and walk in with Dale so that I could take a leisurely shower while he was kanoodling with the boys.  While waiting for me to finish, Dale struck up a conversation with the crew of the huge motor yacht next to us.  He learned that they had intended to leave today for the Bahamas only to learn that the port is closed to both incoming and outgoing traffic due to the waves breaking at the harbor entrance.  Wow!  News to us. 

So while I was washing my hair with lots of marina water and using the forbidden hairdryer, the guys decided that the various weather sources were coming together on a consensus of opinion and that it might be a “doable” trip.  The Plan B is that if things get too sporty, we’ll pull into Samana at the other end of the Dominican Republic and wait until we can cross the Mona.  At that point its just a day trip across. 

After that it was back to the boats.  Zandolee planned a grocery shopping trip into town for more veggies.  Never Say Never have friends in the area that wanted to take the boys up the mountain to ride the gondola up and down the mountain.  Dale and I returned to the Palace to prepare for tomorrow. 

Dale checked and ran the engines, found a leak in our raw water pump that’s going to have to be addressed once we get to Puerto Rico, and “McGuyvered” a float switch he got from a local who works at the marina, as ours had died on the port side bilge.   Its way too large for the space our switch had fit in but it’ll work in a pinch until we can find another.  The taxi ride into town to purchase the right size would have been $40 by itself. Dale figures he’s ahead of the game at this point. 

I organized all of our courtesy flags alphabetically so that we can find what we’re looking for when we need it.  Hey, I do what I can as I had already used my allotted sweat for the day.  
We plan to leave around noon tomorrow, so once again, wish us luck.  

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Ocean World, Dominican Republic

19.49.685N
70.43.853W

Well today made up for yesterday.  Where do I start?  We began the day making plans for the end of the day when Rosie came over and suggested we all get together this evening at 5 on their boat, Never Say Never, to discuss whether/weather.  Whether to go due to the weather.  We thought it a good idea to bring nibbles and drinks as well.

Then we gathered our electronic devices and trotted up to the marina office where we were assured a better connection as we weren’t having a stellar time on the boat itself.  Dale downloaded weather information and charts and I uploaded my blogs from the last 2 days.  Then we listened and studied the podcast our weather guru puts out as we’re not getting very good SSB connection inside the marina as well.  Not sure if its because of the rain, the giant yacht next to us, the large transformer on the dock at our stern or a combination of all 3. 

We then organized a tour to the Brugal Rum factory (imagine that!) and the Amber museum.  Tim, Rosie’s husband, needed to stay behind to work but everyone else joined us and our tour guide was an off duty detective making sure the tourists are kept safe and happy so as to encourage more in coming down.  They know that this is their main economy in this particular area of the island and want to keep it that way as they are trying to lure the big cruise ships here. 

We took a drive into the mountain and was astonished to see that the skies were clearing up enough to see the view below all the way to the ocean.  It was beautiful.  Then we went to the Rum factory which allowed the boys, Benjamin 12 and Josh 10 a tiny taste of the rum.  The youngest seems to have a discerning pallet as he described flavors, I didn’t detect but was accurate in their description. 

Then we went to a cigar making shop.  Unfortunately, none of us smokes and didn’t know of anyone we could send one to in a timely manner. (Sorry Fred, it would have to sit on the boat until we make it to Puerto Rico and then mailed home.)  

Our next stop was at a jewelry shop where I did find a pair of earrings that needed a new home.  After that, it was the Amber museum.  The boys were enthralled with the insects caught in the rare stone, particularly the lizard.  Apparently, there are only 10 complete lizards that have been found in the fossilized sap.  Scenes from Jurassic Park I’d say. 

We took a drive to the local fort but I was outvoted when asked if anyone wanted to get out and walk around.  It was getting later in the day and everyone wanted to return to the boats for our 5pm brainstorming. 

We walked along the dock back to our side and commented on how many boats had to replace broken lines due to the constant wind and surge from the passing front.  We had a snubber that broke during the night that Dale had to tighten the remaining line on.  Zandolee lost 3 lines during the night and Never Say Never had to replace one.  Much larger boats that any of ours lost a lot more.  There was one Swiss catamaran that has to be at least 75’ lost just about all of theirs with splices and crimped together pieces making due until they were all replaced by the end of the day. 

Our end of day nibbles and drinks was a fine finish to an entertaining day.  I think the only thing that really came out of the brainstorming session was that tomorrow, we’ll all get together again to look at the weather charts and then on Thursday climb to the highest height and take a look out.  If the wind doesn’t die down tomorrow, there is no way the waves are going to.  If its rough on Thursday, its time to start looking down the line again.