St. John

As soon as we left the protection of the island, in Norman where we spent a relatively calm night, we were hit by very strong winds. Luckily we were going a short distance and were sailing with the wind or the ride would have been bad. We crossed to St John, the Southern coast, and hid in the protected waters of great Lameshur Bay. Very beautiful. Even more beautiful is Little Lameshur, right next to it but we did not even try it because we knew there were only 5 mooring balls.
The wind pushed the clouds away and we had a lovely afternoon. There is a good dinghy dock and dumpsters so we went ashore on a trash run and then went hiking on a mountain trail which supposedly ended in some waterfalls. We never made it because after we had climbed for an hour, and then started to go down we realized we would not be able to climb all the way back up again. Sophia would've, but not us. Two young Australian guys passed us on the way up and gave up as well, they couldn't face climbing back up again. At night it was very windy but there was no swell so we had another good night. Today is Sophia's last day so we are heading for a marina in Red Hook Bay in St. Thomas and we'll do our hiking downtown.

New Passenger for Christmas!

 We walked to the airport to pick up Sophia, and spent Christmas eve in the marina, Christmas day on Francis Bay, in St. John, the most beautiful spot on the Virgin Islands. This morning it was cloudy and windy so we went for a hike all the way to the ruins of the Annemberg Sugar Mill. The scenery is truly spectacular. Then at midday we untied from the mooring ball and sailed to West End. Very windy, gusts of 25 knots, but a very short ride. We tied to another mooring ball, did customs and immigration and had lunch at Pusser's Landing. Tomorrow the plan is to go all the way to Virgin Gorda. Hopefully the next two days will be less windy. It hasn't rained, except for a few sprinkles, but it's been cloudy. As long as the winds calm down we'll be able to go snorkelling. Faraway has been behaving itself now that Sophia is here, I don't know how long that will last though!

Splish, Splash

As I was getting into the dinghy, with my phone in my pocket - serious mistake - I slipped and fell, bottom first, into the water. I managed to scramble out of the water and into the dinghy with Juan's help, in a very undignified manner I should add. I saved my flip flops which were starting to float away  but my blackberry blinked and died, flooded in water. The only reason I was not devastated is that Sophia is arriving today and I knew I she would bring me back another one.
We are now in Crown Bay Marina, walking distance to the airport, ready to pick her up this afternoon. I will cook a paella for our Xmas eve dinner and tomorrow we take off, probably to St. John, Rendevous Bay. Since it's Xmas eve I will spare you all the breakings and fixings that go on in Faraway. But Juan, the fixer, says he'd rather be fixing in the sun than driving on the Beltway.
Merry Christmas to all and I really wish you were all here.

In St. Thomas

Only a two and a half hour ride, and we were in St. Thomas, ready to wait for Sophia. I removed the picture of the two of us because Sophia said we looked very tired. 
We are tired of all the fixings Faraway has had us doing. There is an electrical problem that we have not yet fixed. The alternator stops charging after a certain time with the motor running. Juan changed the regulator settings to allow the batteries to take more charge but we think maybe there is something going on with the solar panel and the fridge as well. Juan missed that class in school so it's really trial and error. The other problem we seem to have fixed is the cap of the strainer over the water intake. It was not sealing properly and we needed to unscrew a butterfly from the top to add a round rubber seal, but the butterfly was stuck and we could not get it to move. We tried to get a mechanic in Culebra with a vyse that would allow us to move it. But we couldn't. Finally we talked to two guys in a boat very similar to ours, but very run down (not as much as the guys though), who had been over to our boat when we anchored, and one of them had some goo that will unglue anything and a good wrench and he did it. Which of course reminded me again of what Joanna always used to say, don't judge a book by its cover (in this case it was much more than just the cover) because they saved us. As soon as we had put the cover back on the strainer, we sailed to Culebrita, and then the next day we just took off to St. Thomas. It was a really good call because we had a very smooth ride but as soon as we got into the port in Charlotte Amalie it started blowing hard. We anchored but did not go into town because we were afraid the anchor would not stand the strong gusts, at times over 25 kts. It blew through the night and the anchor is still holding so in while we will take the dinghy down and explore the town. 
The moon above is the one that got eclipsed. 

Quick update

Downtown Culebra was as ugly as we remembered. It has a very protected bay where we anchored, not too well. Too close to a small boat on a mooring ball but nothing happened. Yesterday at one we left for Culebrita which was as beautiful as we remembered. The first thing we saw as we caught the mooring balls were the turtles. We had a lovely afternoon and evening but a horrible night because it rained and blew and we rocked and rolled. So bright and early we brought the dinghy up on board, got ready and here we are headed for St. Thomas at 6. 5 knots with the jib out and the engine purring. Photos and details of all the hassles will follow. There was no phone signal in Culebrita but as soon as we cleared it we are up and running again.
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We are sailing!!

Finally we started cruising. The last boat project was done yesterday. Juan's birthday present, a new boiler. He sweated and cursed in all languages but made it work. The boiler is under the kitchen sink and the space there is really cramped. In the midst of the installation Manuel and Asuncion came to visit, friends of joel's. They are such nice people that they tamed Juan's frustration with the boiler and put him in a good mood!
In the evening we received yet another couple, Helena and Dan. She is an interpreter who just moved from Brazil and he is pilot in the San Juan harbor. Really interesting. He is the one who parks the megamonsters that come into the harbor. A very nice couple and we had a great time.
This morning, the forecast having come true, we filled up the water tank, topped up the fuel, said goodbye to Justo and Claudia, our Uruguayans friends and arranged to meet up with Sugar Plum in St. John. And now we are actually sailing at 6kts towards Culebra. Can't wait to get in the water!! (Sophia here we come!!)
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Bye bye marina Puerto del Rey

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Countdown

Tomorrow Culebra. At least we hope so. Not that we are uncomfortable here, on the contrary, we'll miss the comfort of having water and electricity and cable and all the comforts of a nice marina (at a very good price). But we are ready to start cruising. As I look at the picture I posted I can't but think that all the pictures I have posted of Juan show him working, mine - I am eating!
Juan is sorry it's not his birthday anymore. He loved to have everybody call and write and send messages on Facebook including all his nieces and nephews. I made empanadas and we had the best, best, best Amarone Valpolicella at our friend's boat. I would only drink that wine from now on if I could afford it! For dessert Juan's favorite Puerto Rican cream filled pastries. I think if it were for the pastries he would move to Puerto Rico today!

WeWe think

Happy birthday for Juan!

In reality we started celebrating yesterday. Just putting Far Away back in the water was cause enough for celebration. We could not take that muddy yard any longer. For dinner we met some Uruguayan sailors we met here who have a very nice big boat, and went to a nice restaurant and had a great meal. Today we got up really early and went shopping at the supermarket to provision for the next two to three months. Anything we find after this will be much more expensive. We tried not to exagerate but managed to fill to carts. The worst was putting them away but everything fit, somehow.
Apparently Sunday  the weather will have improved and we will be able to leave. We are ready!!

Desperately getting ready!

Hopefully by 2:00pm we will have finished the bottom paint and leave this mud pool behind! Three hours to go.

Rain and mud and many, many noseeums, but surely feelums

Faraway came out of the water and it was full of barnacles. They said they would haul us at two but by the time we were done it was five, so we just showered and went out to dinner with some Uruguayan friends who have their boat here. At night it poured and it rained on and off today so it was muddy and wet. Juan managed to sand the bottom and put primer where the paint wore off with the scraping and sanding. In spite of the difficulty of working in the mud, if all goes well (and it never does) we could be launching Faraway tomorrow afternoon. I am dying to be in the water again, the nearest bathroom in this yard is over a mile away so the conditions are dire. Creativity is really our middle name in that department. Juan still has a few things he needs to do but he says he can do them in the water. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed. I am done with this yard!

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Vieques

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Fw: Bye bye Salinas

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Hello Salinas

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Easterly bound

In the end we did not haul the boat in Ponce. We had everything arranged with the contractor but when we talked to the marina it was an endless rigmarole! We had to get permission from I don't know how many people and the price which the contractor said included Everything, did not include the haul and launch. We did not have enough time to argue so we just left Faraway in the slip.
Juan was very worried about leaving the power and battery charger on but if we left the fridge on we did not have much choice. After some debate we left everything on and left.
We returned from Santo Domingo on an earlier flight. We had rented a car which we had left at the aiport in San Juan. By the time we got to Ponce it was 7:30 pm. Instead of eating somewhere we stopped at a supermarket and bought a few things. Great call! Because the fridge had turned itself off and everything inside had to be chucked. After a few panicky moments (OMG! No fridge! What do we do) we turned it on and it started! We think it must be the tempereture knob.
Yesterday morning we drove to Boqueron to meet Elise and Christ. We stopped at a bakery on the way and bought warm and delicius bread and an assortment of pastries. To juan's delight they were fresh and scrumptious. After catching up with the Hitters for a while we took them to the supermarket and then said gooddbye. We are sure we will meet up again! (We stopped again at the bakery and juan bought three more boxes of pastries)
We discovered that Enterprise rent a car is not open on Sundays so rather than resign ourselves to another night of Very Loud music (5 competing bands!!!) Juan managed to drop the car at the airport. We refuelled and set off. A lovely morning, very calm seas and a mild breeze - on our nose of course!
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Ponce, for a few days

Good night in Boquerón, quite a few boats anchored there which we did not see but were lucky enough to anchor away from. The morning was beautiful and we took off to Ponce. Most of the time a great ride, in the afternoon the wind picked up, on our nose and it made our ride even slower, but we arrived in Ponce at around 4:30. We had called ahead to ask for slip availability but the channels did not connect and nobody could tell us where to go. After going around the basin a few times, we tied to a T-dock and stayed there. The best thing was clearing US Customs. The last time we were here, the marina called and they came to the boat. But this time we had the Custom's decal, so we spoke to them on the phone, gave them all our information and they gave us a number. With that we were able to hoist the PR flag and don't need to do anything else. Perfect.
We moved the boat this morning to a slip and have rented a car. But they have a lift and a yard and Juan is talking to the contractor right now to have the work done right here, so that when we return on Friday night from Santo Domingo, it will be ready. Last year my Xmas present were the winches, this year the bottom paint and new cutlass bearings, not a big improvement!

Well, maybe harrowing was an exageration! But long yes, too long!

At 7 am eight guys and a young girl boarded Faraway to clear it to leave the country. Since the guy from the marina was also there, the only one who dared charge us something was the army guy (20dollars) and the only one who did something useful was the girl: she stamped our passports.
It was raining so we had to wait until it stopped and did not leave until 8:30. The first three hours were torture. The DR did not want us to leave and kept embracing us and pushing us back with big waves and strong winds and squalls. But we dug our heels and went on. Actually I dug my bottom in the little hole in front os the companionwayn behind the wheel so I would not be thrown about while Juan valiantly braved on. Of course I had to warn him not to dream of start fiddling and checking and opening the engine because there was no way I was getting out from my trench!
But after the last squall passed we finally got the weather we had been promised; light winds and long six foot rollers. We had decided to cross South of the Mona so as soon as we were on the lee of the islands it flattened completely, we hoisted the sails (we had the jib out but we furled it and then opened it again) and sailed on. As we turned the corner of the Mona we could see PR in the distance! But the NE wind we had been promised became SE, on our nose.
The greatest problem we had with Faraway was speed. We were dragging it. I guess the bottom must be really bad! So a trip that should have taken ten hours took fifteen! By the time we dropped the anchor in Boqueron it was past midnight.
When we were approaching Boqueron we noticed the batteries were not charging, so this morning Juan tightened the alternator belt and checked the connections and we are again charging. The one casualty os the crossing was our VHF. I went down to rest my back at one point in the afternoon and he must have kicked it as he leaned to fiddle with the sails. He never saw it go!
We have a gourgeous day, a nice breeze, on our nose of course and if all goes well we should be in Ponce by 3.
PS: the engine purrs after Juan's Cuban mechanic fixed it but it still leaks oil and/or transmission fluid. He is not sure.
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To Ponce!

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Puerto Rico

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La mona y la monita

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We made it!

We are anchored in the Bay of Boqueron after a long long long harrowing day. More news tomorrow.
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Tomorrow, apparently, maybe, who knows...

If the weather holds and the forecasts continue to show green flags, tomorrow morning we leave for Puerto Rico. We have already told the marina so that immigration and customs will be here early to clear us. The plan is to do an overnight and arrive in Fajardo on Monday. But like all best laid plans, only tomorrow, and the day after will tell.
Juan is flying back in today from Puerto Rico where he already made all the arrangements for getting Faraway out of the water so that we can clean its bottom. Loreto will be proud

Still waiting...

I have not updated the blog because there is just so many times you can say you walked on the beach or went to the pool or the jacuzzi by the sea, right?
But we did get a new GPS antenna, which seems to be working: the light turns green but it loses its fix, probably a connection, we just don't know where.
We have now put the sails up, Juan has touched up the varnish, and we keep looking at weather maps.
While we could not ask for a better place to be waiting in, we want to move. It could be Wednesday or Friday. The weather forecasts change every time we look at them.
The problem with leaving the DR is that we have to go through the hassle of calling in the immigration officials from the airport, who come down and stamp your passports, but if when you go out conditions are rougher than you expected and you have to come back (as we did last time), you have to go through the same bureaucratic rigmarole.

Cap Cana, Home Sweet Home, for the duration apparently...

All weather reports -  passage weather, buoy, windfinder, nooa - say the same: stay put. So stay we will. But we can't complain. The marina is paid until April and we have the whole resort to ourselves. We walk on the beach in the morning and it's just us. The swimming pools, all along the beach are also empty. They have great recliners, tents to sit under, bathrooms, showers, and last night we discovered we also have cable and last but never least, great wi-fi.
In the meantime we are also waiting for a new GPS antenna. Juan worked with the electronics for 8 hours straight and could not make them work. He called his cousin in Miami and got instructions to connect the GPS directly to the chartplotter using NMEA. That is when he decided the problem is the antenna. So now through his cousin's friend in La Romana we are going to have one sent and see what happens.
The marina lent us their air compressor and Juan will start to rid the bottom of the growth, no small job. He started yesterday without the compressor and could only do the propeller, and some of the rudder.
Sweet Tides and Elza are also stuck in Georgetown and have no idea when they will move.

Waiting for Godot - (meaning GOoD weather TO cross The Mona Passage)- forever??

The wind is howling at more than 25kts and it rains on and off the whole day. The forecast does not show any improvement until next week but the truth is I don't think we could find a better place to be stuck than here.
In the meantime there are a lot of boat fixes to be done. The electronics are on strike. Juan has been trying all of his tricks and all he gets is a failure message on the autopilot screen. He has redone all the connections and says he has no idea what could be wrong. Given that to get to Puerto Rico all we have to do is head East,  we may just have to do it Columbus style - or almost.
The bottom and the propeller are also full of growth. The marina will lend us their compressor for Juan to dive, maybe this afternoon to try and get rid of the worst. Then there are the sails to be hoisted, and I am sure plenty of other chores. The worst part is that Sweet Tides and Elza are also stuck in Georgetown, so we can't even say we are waiting for them.
In the meantime, and between chores, there's the beach, and the swimming pool and a sports club where I am going to try the "power dancing" tonight.

Homebound while Faraway stays faraway

We threw the towel: the weather will not improve till next week and that's too late for us. Rather than risk a crossing just because we have to cross, we decided to leave the boat in Cap Cana. I must say our decision was greatly aided by the fact that on a fluke I decided to check ticket prices for today and got the lowest prices so far, even lower than I had found to return from Puerto Rico. I took it as a sign and we just bought them.
So Juan is now at the marina office negotiating prices to leave it here and in an hour and a half we will be leaving. We are all packed, all we need to do is take the genoa down and maybe the bimini. We are not sure when we will be back, could be in August, in November or earlier if Juan gets volunteers to help take it to either Puerto Rico or even Virgin Gorda where we can leave it on the hard. So for the time being, bye bye

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Since we have to wait we might as well do it in style

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Maybe tomorrow...

Our eyes hurt from poring over weather charts! So after frustrating hours of study and checking airfares from the various options, we decided to try and leave tomorrow afternoon. It really will not be either calm or agreeable until next week but we have to be in DC on Sunday so we will try. If we don't like it we will turn back again. We have already talked to the marina and we could leave the boat here if we needed to. The cheapest tickets are out of San Juan so that was another consideration.
Now that we made the decision we're off to the beach and the swimming pool. Cap Cana is an enormous ghost town. Beautifully manicured, security at every corner, people cleaning and mowing already cut lawns, everywhere. The marina is about 40% occupied, mostly large fishing boats that fish for records.
We returned the golf cart we rented yesterday to go around and visit the development, the other golf carts we see around are driven by marina deckhands and security. Our only complaint about the DR is the bureaucracy to check in and out of each port and now the country.  It's still much better than it was in Luperón, because being in marinas they bring the officials to us, but it's endless!!

Why we turned back

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So near and yet so far...

We woke up at 5am and 45 minutes later we were underway, just the stretch along Samana Bay is at least two hours. When we came out into the Atlantic we were faced with big waves and 14 to 18 knot winds This time they were hitting on a slightly better angle but still very, very uncomfortable. Our worst problem is that the auto pilot is a puny contraption on the wheel, (rather than a strong arm on the column underneath) so when the waves are as high as they were yesterday, it does not hold, so we have to steer by hand most of the time. Again not easy because the waves keep kicking you off course all the time. The forecast said it would improve during the day and it did not, it also said waves 4 to 6 feet and they were more like 6 to 8. So as the hours went on and we realized we could not rest or take proper watches, we decided to come into Cap Cana. We had phoned earlier to let them know we would arrive by 7 and asked for instructions. When we arrived they were waiting for us and came out in a runabout to guide us in.
It is a very big marina, a lot like La Romana but larger. And although it has internet and cable we will leave today and make the crossing to PR. We know the conditions will be as bad if not worse than yesterday but at least we will be crossing during the day after a good night's sleep. Hopefully my next posting will be from Puerto Rico...
PS: the good thing about the trip yesterday is that we saw whales, twice. We were told it was late in the season and whales had already left Samana, but this pack was late in leaving, we saw the spray and the tails as they went into the water. We also had a very athletic dolphin follow us for a while, it kept jumping clear out of the water!

13 hours later in Cap Cana

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Not easy...

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Puerto Bahia Hotel

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Samana

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Puerto Bahia, Samana

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Picture perfect marina Puerto Bahia

As usual, our perfect plans to get to Cap Cana were thwarted by the weather. Not the winds that hovered around 10 to 15 for the most part but by the swells that were large and on our beam and were most uncomfortable. They were neither dangerous nor scary, although they were 8 ft, but the roll they produced did not allow us to rest. So by 1am, when we were approching the turning point to Samana, the thought of going 12 more hours without rest became unbearable, so we made a wise decision and headed into the Samana Bay. We moved very, very slowly so we could come into the marina by daylight.
The bay is beautiful, the anchorage looked nice but the marina is spectacular. They opened only three days ago so not everything is working but it's been done in excellent taste. It really is a resort with a hotel and villas. I could not have chosen a more beautiful place to celebrate my birthday month (and week now).
Yesterday they took us into town, to the supermarket and for a quick tour. But today we are staying put getting ready for tomorrow. We replaced the jib for our large genoa - we have been wishing we had it every leg, hopefully we won't regret having changed it. The plan is to head straight for PR, but if the going gets rough, then it will be Cap Cana. Our neighbours in the marina, a Swiss Jeanneau already left, to anchor in Samana and be ready to head out early tomorrow, but they are going to Cuba so they are going with the wind. The other two neighbours, Spanish boats, are heading to the Azores the day after tomorrow! Long trip.
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Samaná

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Samaná

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Samaná

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On our way

We left our slip at 7:45 to go to the fuel dock and from there check out and clear with the port authorities. The marina opens at 8 but their computers obviously had a hangover from last night and it took them forever to fire up. But worse than that, much worse in fact were the officials that had to clear us. They did not get in till 10. We wanted to leave early because the forecasts were ok for today and tonight but they showed a significant increase in the swells for tomorrow and we wanted to be tucked in in Cap Cana before that!
While we waited, the other Tayana that was next to us in TCI, Blue Wind, with two girls, arrived. They had a good passage on the ocean but a rough time on the banks. There are two sailboats that came from Luperon sailing in the same direction as us, so we will keep each other company.
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Bye bye Ocean World

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Rainy day in Puerto Plata

It was hot in Providenciales, and it is hot in the DR. We do wish we had air conditioning - not an oversight but rather and underbudgeting issue - we have been using the fans and keeping every hatch and porthole open. Last night was no exception, only at 11pm when we were fast asleep it started to rain really hard, so we had to scramble to get everything closed and try and dry what had got wet. It was not easy to breathe afterwards, it was really steamy. Today it has been raining on and off all day. There are two cruisers that have been here for ten days and have not been able to leave. One boat is waiting for a transmission, and the other has been waiting for weather. They left this morning, a nice 43 or 44 Bristol and by 3pm they were back. They hated it out there! So, not encouraging. We took a taxi into town and bought some vegetables at this not too upscale but very cheap market. Antonios (with an s) works here in the marina, recognized us and made a point of taking us around. We have told all the proper government officials that we are leaving tomorrow, but if it's as ugly as today we may just stay and enjoy the rest.

Rain, rain, rain

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One down, two to go (or maybe three or four...)

If you ask Juan he will say half the passage was good the other half not, I think two thirds were good and the other third rolly but not bad. But a third of a half, once we crossed the banks we looked at the ocean and it looked good, so we just went on.We always say if we don't like it we go back, but we never do. The wind did a full turn on the clock and we went from downwind to close hauled, but while it was on a reach we turned off the engine and sailed for a few hours. As we were approaching the island the wind had turned to the SE and we had it on our nose, but no more than 13 to 14 knots. We were all happy, tired but only 6 miles away from the marina when we started to smell diesel. There was a hole on one of the hoses and diesel was pouring from it. After some debating, and some tape that did not stick, we decided to sail to the marina and turn the engine on just to go in. But we were very underpowered because at night the wind had picked up a little bit and we had taken two reefs on the main, so Juan went to try to hoist it again and with the effort did something to his shoulder! Worse than the hole which he has already fixed.
The marina is big, modern and empty. A pity, somebody had grand designs that did not pan out. There is a swimming pool, restaurants, casino, great showers, laundry and their large office building also houses immigration, the navy, and everything you need to clear in and out of the country. A far cry from Luperón.
So now we are poring over weather charts again to see what we will do. If Juan's shoulder is not better we might try to go into Puerto Plata tomorrow for a doctor to see him and then leave the next day. Some cruisers have been trapped here for ten days and are taking advantage of this window, one left after we arrived, and another couple is planning on leaving tomorrow. We would like the company but overnights exhaust us. We must be getting younger...

Dominican Coast

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Bye bye South Caicos

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Out in the ocean

A very calm and uneventful crossing of the banks. We are now in the ocean and likely to go on all night to the coast of the DR. Winds from the north but light and long swells. We'll see.
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Exhilarating sensation!

We finally left the docks, we loved South Side Marina, Simon and Charlyn were fabulous but Faraway and its crew were rearing to go. The breeze is light from the NW, the sun is shining and we are on our way. We hope to cross the banks and spend the night at anchor. Tomorrow we will wait until noon to make sure we arrive in the DR with daylight on Thursday. But of course these are just plans, we'll see what happens once we are out there...
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Back on the saddle again....

We made it to Faraway after a complicated trip that entailed sending the chart plotter and a few other boat parts ahead to Miami, program our luggage so that we could put the contents of the boxes that we had shipped ahead in our luggage in Miami, and packing for work and play. On the 18th we set off to Cancun, where although I was working we had a good time.Then on to Miami for a night for me (I flew the next morning to Ft. Worth for two days) while Juan waited for me in Miami, and then yesterday I managed to finish work at midday, rush to the airport, get on a flight to Miami - which was delayed for an hour and I was having fits - and then meet Juan with our luggage at the airport and check in at Bahamas Air. We had to sleep in Nassau and then at 9 this morning we took off to Providenciales. We were picked up at the airport by Simon, the marina manager, and met up again with Faraway. It was looking almost as nice as when we left it, two months of sun and salt were not kind to the varnish and it was a little dusty, but other than that it was fine. We spent the day working: connecting the chart plotter, setting up the dinghy, putting up the head sail, hosing it down and shopping for groceries.
 So we are ready to go, but as always the weather is not too good, it's going to blow hard tomorrow so instead of leaving and crossing the banks as we had planned, we are going to stay put and leave on Tuesday. There seems to be a window on Wednesday for us to cross to the DR, so we will take it.