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

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 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!!!!!