Merry Christmas

Richard & Shara \Waas at Crown Bay, St. Thomas, USVI

 Two days before Christmas and we haven’t even “Decked the Halls”.  It seems that cleaning and painting have overtaken Kuhela.  Boy does she look sharp!

Main (shopping) street, Charlotte Amalie

Last week we sailed over to St. Thomas to meet the Wasses from Miami on their cruise aboard the Allure of the Seas: 7,000 passenger ship.  We toured Charlotte Amalie together visiting shops; the second oldest sand floor synagogue - symbolic of the 40 years the Jews wondered in  the desert - in this hemisphere; and Wikked, a wings restaurant at Havensite Marina.

Oldest sand floor synagogue

Cruise ships (3) at Havensite, Charlotte Amalie off the back of Wikked

This dock and the one below are the same, just different directions

And where there were none a month ago, now 'tis the Season 

We’re still in Culebra at Ensenada Dakity attached to one of the mooring balls provided by the Puerto Rican government.  How nice to see where our tax money is going.  Speaking of that, Stimulus Funds of over $273,000 were used to renovate the lift bridge at Dewey even though there is a fixed 12” steel pipe protected by a steel superstructure in case hit gets hit at the lowest level of the bridge.  Result: even if the bridge is raised, the pipe still blocks the waterway 10 feet above the water.  Reminds me of the “bridges to nowhere” we’ve heard about recently.  Isn't our government wonderful?

Speaking of our government (yes, the lower case “g” is intended) we all need to read Glenn Beck’s book, Broke.  You can get it at your local bookstore.  What a great and frightening read!  We all need to be re-educated and informed as to what is happening (has happened) to our country AND what we all need to do about it.  He documents and footnotes all his observations in great detail.  Please do yourself a favor and get a copy.  You may think he’s purely an entertainer, BUT…  Believe me, you’ll thank me (and Glenn).

Let us take a moment to wish all our family, friends, and loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Profitable New Year.  Even though you are far away, you are always in our thoughts and hearts.

Sunset at Salinas barrier island, Los Rattones

We're Baaaack...

We returned to Salinas, PR a week ago from a wonderful 6 weeks in the good olde U. S. of A., central Florida to be exact, where we celebrated Linda’s Mom’s 86th B-day and Turkey Day with family and friends. By the way, car rentals are best for a month as the last two weeks are almost the same price as the month: stay one or two months, no fractions. Kūhela was in great shape thanks to Steve and Sue Pinhey on Loose Change, who not only looked after our home, but also had taken her into the mangroves when Tomas turned menacingly north towards Hispaniola and PR. Unfortunately because we weren’t moving except for the once over and back to Jobos’ mangroves which are moderately close, the barnacles and seaweed grew in horrendous profusion. The sound, like crinkling cellophane, of shrimp dining on our hulls was almost deafening as we tried to get to sleep the first night back. Even so, it took two days to get in the water, which was surprisingly warm, and start scraping with a putty knife and scrubbing with a brush. By the time, I got pooped, probably 2 hours, I’d managed to get about 70% of the starboard hull, step and rudder done. The rest was to wait ‘till the next day when I’d get 70% of the port hull done. Then the NEXT day, I planned to get out my “Hooka” (It’s a 125 psi oil-less electric air pump with 70’ hose attached to my SCUBA regulator) and do the remaining 30% of both hulls that was out of reach from the surface. What a delightful way to spend the next three days! Although it wasn’t planned, we figured our friend Steve could use some cash for his and Sue’s upcoming trip home, so I offered him the work. Thankfully he took me up on it and polished off the rest of the bottom in jig time. Thank you Steve! Now all I had to do were menial chores and make water which is only noisy.


The weather has been perfect the last week, but has turned cloudy with 70% chance of rain today. Eat your hearts out: the day temperatures have been in the mid-80’s, and the nights in the low-70’s; clear skys and lovely sunsets; gentle breezes; warm waters; you know, “I’m in Heaven…” I keep telling everyone, “Come on down!”

Tomorrow we drive Steve and Sue to San Juan and then stock up at Costco for our expected company: Betty and Byrle Raper and possibly Ron Hurtle and his gal Linda and Paula and John Godfrey from Titusville via Canada (they may join us for Christmas). Most everyone is expected on the 29th. By the 15th we will be in Charlotte Amalie, USVI to hopefully meet up with Shara and Richard Waas from Miami who are coming in on the cruise ship Allure, sister ship of the Oasis, one of the largest cruise ships in the world.

USVI



Looking E to USVI 1/2 way from Culebra



Looking W to Culebra





While Earl only gave Puerto Rico and us a slight shot, it whacked the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) much more severely. We saw way more a dozen sailboat wrecks on St. Thomas and St. John plus devastation to the reefs.

Along the shoreline we saw evidence – mainly brown bushes and shrubs – above the beach of the 12’ to– 18’ waves that swung in from the south ripping up the coral, flinging it onto the shore and discoloring the vegetation. Needless to say the snorkeling was lousy.





After a ride over to Cruz Bay, St. John and the National Park Headquarters for information, we motored into the 20 to 25 k wind past Caneel Bay, too rough; Hawlksnest Bay, too rough; Trunk Bay, too rough; and half way to Francis Bay, also too rough.



Charlotte Amalie



Charlotte Amalie



We turned tail and sailed back down wind past Great St. James Island, Jersey Bay, Packet Rock and Barrel of Beef into Charlotte Amalie Harbour where we anchored across from the cruise dock with just one (it can handle two) ship, Carnival Victory, tied along side. I have never seen so much shopping, both at Havensight (east of downtown) and Charlotte Amalie. Literally hundreds of jewelry, liquor, clothing, tourist junques, etc. stores are one right next to another with some stuffs all in the same store. How they survive I do not know, and everything is closed on the 3 or 4 non cruise ship days. It’s all very orderly and friendly with no shop owner hawking his wares from the front of the store.



Linda and Pinheys at 99 Steps





Linda below Blue Beard's Castle



 Police are everywhere you turn which seems to have tamped down their poor reputation for crime against tourists. However, the locals do tell you to be smart jus’ like seeing any large city.



Linda's new dress - Woooow!!!



We took the “Dolla’” cab/bus – a heavy truck pickup with rows of seats and a metal roof - to Red Hook on the southeast end of the island. By the way, cab/taxis are quite expensive and heavily and loudly solicited on every street, doorway, shady spot and corner. The ride turned out to be two dollars as the price and distance went up. Very cute place which was in the throes of a chicken wing cooking contest (feeding frenzy) for the benefit of a childrens’ home. We people-watched from a bar overlooking the parking lot where it was held. Boy, those Hooters girls sure are scrimply stacked. Seems there are to be elections shortly as a Democratic candidate for office was glad-handing crowd with his “I’m your best friend and will take care of you” smile.



Brewers Bay



 

We’ve anchored since yesterday in Brewer Bay, right next to the airport and runway, just west of Charlotte Amalie. It has a park and beach at its head and is very lovely with clear water and a sand bottom. You can always tell a good anchorage if we make water, and we are. The noise which one would think would be terrible is not at all. The planes come in mostly during the day (none after 9 p.m.) and with noise abatement are rather quiet. Don’t tell anyone (the cruising guide hasn’t figured it out either) ‘cause we’re the only ones anchored here very close to Charlotte Amalie. Monday we’ll head back to Culebra where I hope to find my meds at the post office General Delivery as the Rx company screwed up the last order and I’m about to run out.



Pirate ship motoring over to cruise ship dock



 

OK, it’s time for the Great Haircut Debate to begin. Does Harry’s crew cut win out for convenience (no combing in the a.m.; after a wind tousle; a hat muss; a swim; a rain; etc.) or lose to past beauty (no vanity/conceit intended)? Here are some pictures, I hope, to help you decide. Please comment on the blog and I’ll publish the results after a modicum of time, but not so quickly that it’ll gown out before October 22 if long hair wins.

 

 

Culebra Revisited






Salinas harbour and Marina





Rob and Lauren Dehaan of Arita



Steve and Sue Penhey of Lose Change

We’re baaack! Anchored (on a DRNA free mooring ball behind Rob's head) to the left of the entrance and behind the reef at Ensenada Honda. After our stay in Salinas with all its nutrients Kūhela developed a moss and barnacle skirt. I know, all boats do this, but Kūhela does it twice. So I mask, fin and rub from the surface as low as I can go. Then get out the SCUBA regulator and the oil-less air compressor with 70’ hose and do the bottom ⅔rds. Oh woe is me having to “cut the grass” every month or so, unlike Florida in the day when it was every 4 days in the summer. That’s the price we cruisers have to pay to stay afloat. Oh, hum.


I went into the local post office and retrieved my very late (lost) birthday card from my dear friends Peggy and Jack in Titusville. Seems a very green iguana holding a frozen margarita is asking, “Got lime?” Inside it says, “Celebrate like the cold-blooded party animal you are! Happy Birthday.” Cute, huh?!?! All the rest of the cards seem to have been returned or are still lost. No, I don’t get it either.

The weather has been wonderful this past week, so on top of relocating to Culebra via Vieques we are going to make a 12 nm passage to Charlotte Amalie, USVI and St. Thomas. We might take a peek at the BVI in spite of their cruising permit fee, too. I was sorry we couldn’t stay longer at Vieques – just one night - but Linda is still hurting from the accident and didn’t want to bounce around the island on a motor bike or golf cart just yet. We’ll go back later when she’s better healed.

Although I’ve heard about it I have never seen (been near) someone who came down with a recurring bout of malaria. Rob Dehaan of Arita got his in New Guinea years ago and it’s come back. Poor guy is down for the count with all the classic symptoms. Thank God he has his beautiful wife, Lauren, to nurse him back to health. Too bad she spells her name wrong. Should be like me, “Loren”.

Post Hurricane Earl - Salinas, PR

Well, we made it to the mangroves at Jobos in plenty of time: that is it wasn’t dark yet. Just inside the barrier islands and channel is a large 50+ acre lake with branches off it driving deeper into the mangroves where we’d normally hide. Listening to the National Weather Service we thought that Earl would keep heading NW of Puerto Rico and not be much of a threat to us on the S side of the island. We were right…winds never got to 40 kph even in the gusts, and we were able to stay in the lake away from the mangroves and their resident mosquitoes and no-see-ums and light airs. While we have “no-see-um screens” (very tight mesh screens), they also cut down the breeze that can pass thru so badly that we don’t like putting them up unless it’s absolutely necessary: hot, hot, and hotter! In the lake they, thankfully, weren’t necessary. At least twenty boats were snuggled down in the mangrove fingers with the skeeters and no-see-um. We went to bed with a stiff breeze and rain bands coming over every 20 or so minutes: no big deal, again very thankfully.


It seems at least that my children don’t understand about “the mangroves”. They lie behind barrier islands (Cayos de Barca) and inland another mile from the sea. They are trees with extensive root systems that thrive in salt water. Boats are able to get in-between the root systems (like into a cul de sac) and tie to them in multiple directions with multiple large lines. Add to this several anchors in the direction and counter direction (the winds switch as the ‘cane passes) of the winds and one is as snug as a bug can be it its rug. The trees block the wind and the roots not only break up the waves but also hold you gently – they are quite pliable - as you move (are pushed) up against them. Definitely better than a marina with all their risks: boats breaking lose; rigid dock lines over-riding the pilings; docks breaking up; etc.

Another question is what do we do when we need to evacuate from the boat to the nearest casino/hotel: hay, gotta go first class in these conditions ya know. Well we have our “Ditch Bag” with all our necessities: insurance and boat papers, cash, credit cards, passports, medicines, toiletries, etc. We dress as if we were going to make a run for it and make sure the dingy is ready to go. Then when we make the decision to evacuate to higher ground we step into the dingy with our bag and make a run for it to the nearest dingy dock and transportation further inland.

I forgot to mention our car accident: yes, Crash Arnold did it again. For those of you who do not know where this moniker came from, let me take you back to the 2004 and my Aunty Sally’s 90th birthday party in Honolulu. Seems I had a little too much to drink there and backing up was a challenge. At Coco Isle where were staying at my sister Suzy’s condo, I managed to back into the power distribution box for several of the condos across, thankfully, the street from my sister’s. Oh, did I mention it was Super Bowl Sunday morning and all the freezers, frigs, and TVs went out! I think you can guess how popular I was that day. So back to the present and we are headed to COSTCO and Homo Depot for some things. Three miles out of Fajardo I decided to change lanes around a PR driver (really, he was doing 30 mph in the 55mph SLOW lane).  I looked in the mirror and even turned my head (as Linda will testify) and missed seeing the car in my blind spot. Kias have a very, very tight turning radius and I managed to over steer when Linda yelled “Car, Car!!” As we spun to the right, we went into the concrete bridge barrier, bounced off and headed down the road backwards for maybe 20 feet. The air bags deployed (that’s for you, Jack) and Linda was sure she was in Heaven. She had the wind knocked out of her from the seat belt and the air bag and all she could see was white. In a moment she realized it was just the white air bag in her face surrounded by talcum powder. We both were bruised and Linda discovered a torn intercostal muscle or a broken rib three days later. She’s wearing a back brace that gives some support making the pain mostly bearable. Best part, it was a one car accident and no one was seriously hurt.

Gaston is looming E and S of us, but is having a hard time getting organized. Looks like it’ll just be a tropical storm when it passes S of Puerto Rico. But TS is just one mph below a class 1 hurricane so we’ll keep a wary eye on it over the next few days.

Happy Labor Day to all.

Hurricane Earl...Fiona (?)...etc.

Just a quick note to say we are heading for the hurricane holes 2nm East of Salinas on the South coast of Puerto Rico.  It just the smart thing to do.  We'll anchor behind one of the out islands to catch the breeze until it is more definate (like Monday) that we're going to get it.  We'll then take the high tide into the middle of the mangroves and hunker down.

Fajardo, Puerto Rico - II

Ensenada Honda, Culebra

Ensenada Honda, Culebra

e

 Linda, Steve and Sue Phinney at Culebra

Dr. Job & Teresa Andujar with Linda
and Consuelo Adan of Stella Maris

Rob & Lauren Dehaan of Arita with Angelica
Adan of Stella Maris at the Andujar's home in
Luquillo

Us at tower in El Unque Rain Forest

We came ashore for the first time June 29th when we needed to have our sails re-stitched – our feeble attempts on our own SailRite sewing machine finally caught up with us –, our alternators checked (and subsequently rebuilt), the roller furling (a device to roll up the jib) fixed and jib stay replaced with a larger (10mm to equal the main stays); battery alarm (?), and the raw water pump rebuilt (which I can now do thanks to Steve Phinney’s, Lose Change, expert help: just once even and I remembered/learned). We took up residence at the Fajardo Inn for a week running back and forth to West Marine, Wal-Mart and the marina. When they put us back in (splashed us) we discovered that neither engine would start: seems the Volvo guy had a look without a fix. Oh joy and rupture! SeaTow (we have BoatUS, of course) came to our rescue towing us 75 feet to a T-dock (that’s the shape of the dock) across from the splash slip for $350. Linda then asks, “Why am I hearing a pump?” I opened a hatch in the sole of the port pontoon and there it was again: a hull crack just like the one we had on our way to the Bahamas last summer. Well at least we weren’t sinking in the Gulf Stream like last time, and the flow was about the same: three or so gallons an hour controlled by our trusty-dusty dingy bilge pump and outboard battery. After Volvo fixed/rebuilt the alternators and we started the engines, we took the weekend to relax for free at Palominos, a small island off of the Conquistador Hotel, with Stella Maris. Back Monday morning to re-haul and fix the hull again. In the process we learned/discovered that both engines were in pretty bad shape after years of being sprayed periodically with sea water from the raw water pumps that are on top of the engines (some brilliant Volvo designer needs to be fired!) and a sloppy job of corrosion control by yours truly. So we bit the bullet, had the engines pulled (by fork lift) out of the boat and re-furbished by Volvo. And good we did: carbon buildup had nearly closed the exhaust manafold; barnacles and raw water pump impeller blades and nearly closed the heat exchanger along with corroding some of the fittings; and rust had taken over the electrical system and the engine mounts. The only thing that was good were the sail drives, that part that sticks down and has the propellers attached. We met Rick and Debbie Lehto of Miss Heidi, a sloop on the hard next to us who turned us onto a weekly on the beach in the barrio at Playa de Fajardo, not a half mile from the Inn, at 2/3rds the Inn’s fee, and with a kitchen. Not so clean - we had to sweep, dust and mop – but comfortable (A/C no less) and well worth the price. We were next to the Lehtos and had cocktails and pupus every night on the patio/walk facing Palominos and Culebra.

So, now its 45 days later (August 12th) and we splashed again: wow, how great it is to be afloat again and not leaking! Now we are now about destitute, but what the Hell, “Its just money (that the kids won’t get)!”, the engines won’t fail us, the sails won’t rip and we won’t leek on our fantastic journey.

The weather has been fine up until the last few days with tropical depressions having gone north, sheered apart, developed in the Gulf or Pacific leaving us with only a few thunder storms. Believe me when I say we live and die by weather reports every morning and evening. Why can’t the Africans keep their damn waves?!?! We’re turning into a pair of meteorologists watching clouds, barometers, the web, and discussing hurricane strategies with anyone who’ll listen. If one develops, looks like we’ll beat a hasty retreat back to Salinas and Aguirre where there are a bunch of hurricane holes in the mangroves which we can anchor in and tie off to. After taking everything down from outside, we’ll head for the hills to wait it out: hopefully it won’t come to that.

We still haven’t gotten any takers for a fun filled week or so in the environs of Puerto Rico…we’ll be here until October 20th when we fly back to Florida. Come on down!!!!!

Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Once again I cannot move or label most of the pictures.

Harry @ spring atPunta Cana

Water spout, DR

Sprinmgs at Punta Cana, DRStella Maris @ Ensenada

Guvate Pork House

Linda at Spring in Punta Cana

El Moro              El Moro from SW side of harbor

 

After leaving Punta Cana, DR, we made a night passage N of Isla Mona to miss the nightly thunderstorms that rumble W off Puerto Rico into the Mona Passage. We arrived just after dawn after a mostly motor sail at Boquerón, Puerto Rico. We checked in with US Customs by phone (we have the Local Boaters cards), but still had to go ashore later for a personal visit to answer more questions. Bureaucratic BS is alive and well! We rented a car with Stella Maris and drove to San Juan for the weekend where we “sight-see’d” and shopped (West Marine and COSTCO). On the way back we stopped at Guavate where they have pig on a spit. After 20+ hours of spinning, it’s almost as good as Hawaii’s luau pork. After a heavy shopping spree for food, we got back to find a gay festival in full swing: beer, urine, and trash everywhere blocking our way to the dock. We left our non-perishable food and “stuffs” locked in the car ‘till morning when we could get them dingyed aboard. Surprisingly, by afternoon the place was cleaned up by the core participants and locals.

El Moro fort,

San Juan

 

A day trip to Ensenada for the night and we next stopped at Salinas…no great shakes as another rundown, 3rd World town. The Marina was run by a bunch of fools who don’t have a clue re running a marine facility, and this from someone who anchored off and only used the facility as a “guest” of a Stella Maris. Our family (Vaughns and Riebolds except for Chris who had no vacation time) flew in for Father’s Day and a short stay to fish and sight see. On the way to the airport we stopped at El Junque (the rainforest) after driving around the SE coast - beautiful, mountainous country with very old, winding roads like the run to Hana, HI in the old days - past, you guessed it, Fajardo.

At Bacardi with fruit bat company symbol

Off again to Fajardo where we anchored off Isla Piñeros 45 minutes S as the Marina wanted/demanded $108 for the night before we pulled out: another incident/example of poor management/business. Puerto Del Rey Marina is the largest marina in the Caribbean: 1,000+ slips plus a huge dry storage facility and haul-out that can accommodate boats up to 30’ wide and up to 100 tons. It lies several miles south of the town on the E end of the island and faces the Spanish, British, and US Virgin Islands to the E and Vieques to the S. Vieques is the island along with Kahoolawe in Hawaii that drove the locals to demand the US Navy to leave alone and stop using as a training target. Here they were able to close Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, too. We were pulled/lifted out, had the rudder shafts straightened, the two fist-sized dings in the keels filled and re-glassed, the forestay replaced (too small/light when compared to the main stays), the sails re-stitched and repaired, and the sail bag’s 27’ zipper replaced. Sun (UV) damage is impossible to prevent completely. Back in the water and we find the haul out cracked the port hull so we are taking on water again just like we did in the Bahamas last August and the engines won’t start. Seems that there has been an electrical trickle that has caused excessive rusting which has destroyed all four alternators and contributed to the destruction of the starboard starter. Plus my rebuild of the raw water pump on the port engine, ‘though good for the leak, ended up not pumping water (probably due to the impeller being reinstalled backwards). So, we’ve called in the techs, bit the maintenance bullet, and will have everything fixed to include another expensive haul-out to reseal the hull. The biggest problem is the boredom waiting in the rain at dock side for parts and quotes. At least we can stay aboard with AC as it won’t work on “the hard” as there is no raw, cooling water there unless we rent a cooling tower for $400. Otherwise, we have to stay in a hotel, eat out, and rent a car: expensive.

While we are still Hawaii and beyond bound, we have decided to stay in the area ‘till December given the hurricane season predictions plus input from other cruisers. We missed the window for Grenada: all the hurricane holes are filled and the stormy weather makes sailing (rain, waves, and wind direction) miserable and swimming (muddy, churned up water) lousy. So, we’ll putz around the Islands here and head back to central Florida on October 20 through November 30 for Linda’s Mom’s 86th B-day and Thanksgiving with the kids, grand-chillens, and friends.

Porker

El Conquistador Hotel

Salinas

Rat Island near Salinas

Cayo Largo (Isleta Marina) from El ConquistadorSpring