Good Times In Puerto Rico

Enjoying good times at Cabo Rojo - Puerto Rico

We love Puerto Rico. It is an island so rich in nature and wildlife, it’s hard not to like. Couple that with catching up with new cruising friends and hanging out with old cruising friends we have not seen in 11, yes that’s 11 years – since our days in Venezuela, and it’s been good times.

Having a beer and good times catching up with Jan and Terrry

Jan (him) and Terry (her) were on the same dock as us in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela for the hurricane season of 2005. And we have not seen them since. 

Vixen ii - on the dock at La Parguera, PR

They have swapped their sailboat for a motor boat and are living off the dock in a teeny weeny, little (party) town called La Parguera on the southwest corner of Puerto Rico. We had not been there before but could see that it has recently undergone lots of modernisation and looking very smart with a viewing platform in the square to see out across the bay with little bars and restaurants. 

La Parguera, Puerto Rico

The area is fringed with shallow reefs and mangrove islands. We weaved our way in as close as we could to our friends and had a blast catching up out with them. We partied on their dock along with a couple of other new cruiser buddies we had met earlier in the Bahamas. 

Not only did we get to hang out in their great (and often hilarious) company, they took us for a little sightseeing the following day to the SW corner of Puerto Rico past all the gorgeous countryside, past the pink salt flats to the Cabo Rojo lighthouse. Known as ‘El Faro’, it’s the second lighthouse ever built by the Spanish in Puerto Rico and is over 100 years old. It is still working to this day.

'El Faro' - The lighthouse at Cabo Rojo - Puertoo Rico.

This area is gorgoues with all its contrasting colours.

In the same part is one of the most photographed spots in Puerto Rico, El Punte Natural - The stone bridge. The area is spectacular with reddish brown cliffs giving a dramatic view of the blue Caribbean Sea. Totally stunning – we loved it there.Only I was brave (or stupid) enough to cross the narrow and thin bridge for a photo.

El Punte Natural - The natural bridge 

Dramatic clifftops at Cabo Rojo

We were having unusually calm weather so felt we should be continuing on our journey along the south coast – so much easier when the winds were down. We said goodbye to our friends and pressed on. Next stop Gilligan’s Island – this is not the first time we have stopped here but it is the first time with our kayaks. We had lots of fun kayaking around the mangrove islands and through the narrow mangrove channels. At the weekend it’s a bit of a party spot and all the locals are bought across by a ferry to BBQ and frolic in the shaded lagoons. 

Its party time at the weekend in Gilligans Island.

We moved on to Coffin Island, a little island about six miles off shore with another lighthouse. It is a state park with paths and trails to the lighthouse through scrubby bush. We didn’t climb the lighthouse this time. Instead hung out for a lovely afternoon in the water with the cruising peeps we had met in the Bahamas; Lauren and Brian from Nightingales Tune and Alison and Bo from Saleh. Lauren is a bit of a chef and whipped up some delicious conch fritters from a catch earlier in the day. A yum and a fun day.

Fun at Coffin Island

With the good weather we continued on to Salinas – where we are now.  A familiar spot to us and a well protected bay to hangout for awhile. There is not much going on here – a marina, some manatees – a long walk to the supermarket and a couple of bars within spitting distance. We have pottered on with a few things and are now thinking of moving on. In the mean time the whole ‘Southbound’ group that we travelled along the Dominican Republic with have pulled in so we are in good company.

Our anchorage in Salinas

Dolpins on the way to La Parguera.

Manatees in Salinas.

Iguanas in La Parguera

Sights of Salinas...including a long walk to the supermarket.

A good night at Sal Pa Dentro Bar - just outside the marina gates.

Back To The East Caribbean We Go...!

Back to the East Caribbean. That's the decision we have made as to where we will spend next hurricane season. It's not been an easy decision to make, not least because of finances but also because of our very indecisive minds with so many places we wish to go and so many factors to consider. We hope to curve our spending habit in the islands after the temptations of the USA. And we are ready for some Island time  - something we have missed while traveling in the United States.And of course, we are looking forward to seeing old friends again too. We would have loved to have spent more time in the Bahamas but with our route now firmly decided (We hope!), it's time to press on. 

Our route from George Town, Great Exuma via, Long Island, Rum Cay and Mayaguana to Sapadillo Bay, Turks and Caicos.

Sailing the 'thorny path' as it is known is not easy. Our journey is directly east into the trade winds. We will inch our way along trying to gain as much east as we can while travelling south, Island hoping as we go.  It sounds easy but a lot of planning goes into where and when and how we will get there. Taking into to consideration what weather we will get, future weather to come, distances we can cover, coral banks we have to cross - needing good day light etc. It will be hard on the wind all the way. My least favourite point of sail!

Saying goodbye to all our good friends in George Town.

We Left Georgetown saying farewells to all our good friends and sailed to the gorgeous Calabash Bay in Long Island. We have met some other boats along the way, who are sailing in the same direction and we loosely tag along together, sharing plans, weather and beers.

The beautiful Calabash Bay at the north end of Long Island.

From Long Island we motored along with 'Exit Stage Left' who have been our companion for the duration so far, to spend a night at Rum Cay - a place I would love to spend more time getting to know but with the rolly anchorage and good weather to press on, we did.

With coral reefs dotted about the anchorage - Rum Cay was a good place to snorkel.

 It was an overnight sail to Mayaguana. One that at first looked like a motor but indeed turned out to be one of those rare, balmy sails with a gentle 10-15kts breeze on a beam reach and a starry sky. We caught two skipjack tunas along the way and entered Abraham's Bay with a morning sun high in the sky so we could see the coral heads as we made our way in. 

A flat calm motor turned into a lovely sail catching a couple of fish along the way.

We spent two nights in Mayaguana the southeastern most Island in the Bahamas before we left for a hard on the wind night sail to Turks and Caicos.

Bye Bye beautiful blue Bahamas - we will miss you.

Seven or eight boats arrived in all to the small anchorage at Sapadillo Bay, Provodencial, the northwestern Island in the Turks and Caicos group. The fee at customs and immigration to stay a week or less is $100 or an extra $300 if you stay longer. Which makes our 3 day stay here an expensive one. We cleared customs and immigration at the dusty commercial port where we spent two hours with all the other boat crews' first waiting for the officers to turn up and then the painfully slow process of filling in the simple immigration forms, all whilst being sleep deprived from the night before. 

Arriving as the sun rises in the Sand Bore Channel to Turks and Caicos and some scenery around the pretty beach.

Except for a beach with a few private villas or small hotels dotted along there is nothing but a dusty road in Sapadillo Bay. It is notoriously expensive here. Sim popped into the petrol station down the road where a tin of corn beef costs $8! So what are a group of thirsty sailors recovering from a night sail supposed to do when they have finished their clearence procedures? Why meet on the beach with our own beers for sundowners of course.

The crews of Exit Stage Left, Pepper, Eureka, Aqua Vida, Sailacious, Vagabond and ourselves. 

We have two more days here, then Monday we will motor across the Caicos banks to put ourselves in a better position to sail on to the Dominican Republic before a strong front arrives on Tuesday afternoon.