Category: Travel

Guilligans Island

bearcruzer

April 29th, 2010

We left La Parguera and traveled east to an anchorage next to what is called Guilligans Island by locals after the 1970’s TV show.  I guess there used to be a local fisherman that looked a lot like the main character Bob Denver and the Island has a shallow bay where people come to lounge in the water sipping cool drinks.  They really understand how to beat the heat…..just don’t get out of the water.   The island has been equipped by the local parks service with picnic tables and brick BBQ’s for the enjoyment of visitors that bring their coolers and take the ¼ mile ferry ride over to the little Island on the weekends.     Mike and I traveled over to the Ferry dock and did a walk down the beach on the mainland side.   At the dock we were met by a black cat that kept crossing our path so we tempted fate and visited with him a few minutes.   We came upon Copamarina All Inclusive Resort and toured their beautifully manicured grounds.   We walked along the shore to the public beach where families were enjoying the beautiful weather and cool water.    We took Mighty Mouse over to Guilligans Island humming the theme song from the TV show and walked the couple of trails we found through the mangroves.   Supposedly a slave woman had escaped at one time and had swum over to the island and lived there undiscovered for many years.   It was hard for us to imagine anyone living on this Island with its tangle of mangroves and lack of fresh water.

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La Parguera

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April 27th & 28th, 2010

We left the bustle that is Boqueron at Sunrise and made our way around Cabo Rojo to the Little Town of La Parguera.    S/V Persephone had left the day before and found the town to be virtually closed down.   It had once been a place where, like Boqueron, college students would congregate on the weekends.    The residents of the town did not like many of the problems that came with hosting throngs of out of town partiers every weekend and so the town began instituting and the local police began enforcing a number of ordinances.  The hefty fines imposed produced the intended results and drove the party goers back to Boqueron.   We arrived to find a handful of souvenir kiosks and a couple of restaurants with just a few local people in them.   There were other restaurants and Bars along the main coastal road but none looked to be in business.    We walked around and looked for what was listed in the guidebooks as the local Mall where there was supposed to be a large grocery store and a post office.   We found the Mall with everything, including the Post Office, closed down completely and permanently.  We also asked where we might be able to purchase fuel and were told we had to go to the next town as the gas station has also closed down.    Like I said they got rid of all the undesirable behaviors including the annoyance of having to make a living.    That said it is a quaint and quiet little town with a small local convenience store where we picked up a few supplies.  The harbor is protected by a number of reefs that we had to navigate before we anchored just off the main ferry dock.   As soon as we dropped anchor we had a guest come aboard.  He was a Caribbean Martin and he thought the cavity in our boom looked like it might be a place to check out for nesting.   He came by to check out the boat 3 or 4 times and was kind enough to pose briefly for a photo before deciding that maybe nesting in a moving boat wasn’t the best place.    We along with our friends David and Trudie,  took the dinks out to explore.  There are many cute bungalows built on stilts over the water and painted bright colors.   We rode over to what is known as the 2nd Brightest Phosphorescent Bay in the world and explored the mangroves that surrounded it.  The roots of the mangroves are covered with oysters and Pelicans and other birds were abundant.  That evening we returned to the bay to see the phosphorescence.    The bay is best experienced on a new moon and we had arrived at the Full Moon but were still able to see the pale blue glow stirred up by the prop on the dingy motor as we did doughnuts in the calm waters.   The sky was dotted with just a few clouds that we kept hoping would cross the moon so we could see the phosphorescence a little better.   The evening breeze was just slightly cooler than the warm water that surrounded us and the experience was one of peace and quiet beauty.    A lovely evening to say the least!    We spent the better part of the next day swimming, fishing and exploring some of the reefs before a brief squall that loomed on the horizon drove us back to our boats.   Mike hung the Sunshade I had made for the cockpit and we had David and Trudie over for Nachos and a couple of Pina Coladas while we watched the sunset.

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Blog Updated! Finally!

bearcruzer

Monday April 26th,  3:45 pm

Dave and Trudie on S/V Persephone left the harbor this morning and we have been reading about some other ports and anchorages along the southern coast of Puerto Rico.    We have been studying the Grib and Weather files and will follow them south tomorrow morning toward La Parguera where there is a phosphorescent bay about a mile from the anchorage.   We will not be there at the best time as the moon is coming on full and it is best seen on a new moon,  but it should still be interesting to explore.    In the meantime the Tradewinds have come up and we are sitting at anchor here in the harbor with a steady 20 knots of winds coming from the Southeast.    We along with Patty and John from S/V Ahinga and a couple of other captains and friend of Chuck here in the harbor had to come to the Rescue of Ronin again as it began dragging on the Delta anchor that Chuck had set.    We attempted to reset the Delta but without success.   We found a Danforth anchor aboard and swapped it out for the Delta and with the aid of Mighty Mouse moved Ronin closer to shore and set the anchor securely and dropped as much rode as we could to keep Ronin from going on unattended walkabout around the harbor again.     She is now anchored out about 500 yards from everyone else here in the harbor and we all will be keeping a close eye to make sure she stays put.    So here I am with seated in Galloway’s getting caught up and bringing you all up to date with the latest adventures.   Mike and I just finished lunch and will be headed back out to DD for a swim and maybe even a little nap….Consider yourselves Up To Date!!!

Updating the Blog at Galloway's

Boqueron April 25

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I spent this morning doing laundry in the Sputnik, our hand-crank washing machine, while Mike did a tune up on Mighty Mouse’s engine after his rescue yesterday.   We met up with Chuck, Lolin, and some other mutual friends, Patty and John from S/V Ahinga and Terry from Galloway’s Restaurant, at 5:00pm and drove up to Chucks home.  His house sits on a hillside lot surrounded by 300 acres of farmland.   The views are spectacular and we looked out over the verdant hills and farmland to Boqueron harbor and North to Puerto Real.    We watched the cattle grazing below his home and listened to the calls of numerous birds and watched a majestic peacock foraging under one of the many mango trees that abound here.    Lolin said that, occasionally they see monkeys.  There are 3 different species.   These are not indigenous to the island but escaped from a research facility, 15 -20 years ago and have established a colony.    Another couple of Chucks friends came by and so because Chuck has been away from home for the last 6 months, we were treated to an evening of conversation ripe with all the gossip of the local community.     We have been invited by Lolin to come see her farm outside of Mayaguez and participate in a Tango Lesson this week.    Our social calendar will definitely be full should we decide to stay in Boqueron for a few more days    However, the call of the sea as she whispers her promises of the beauty and mysteries  of other places is always there in our imaginations and encouraging us not to become too settled and entices us ever onward.

View from Chuck's Home
Up on the Roof!

Same Day Different Rescue!

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After such an busy morning, we had headed back to DD for Lunch.   Rain had begun to fall but even that did not deter the masses of people enjoying themselves on the beach.  The music continued to blare and in fact we noticed that there was a large gathering of scouts now massing on the shore.    It was then that we saw the coast guard boat filled with crew slowly cruising up and down the beach.  It appeared that they were keeping the jet skiers and other watercraft out of an area right between DD and the beach.    It was then we heard a helicopter approaching and a radio transmission that they were inbound.     We watched as a Red US Coast Guard Helicopter flew about 3 circles around DD.   (Later on of course we would hear from Persephone asking us what sort of trouble we had caused that required the dispatch of so many Coast Guard personnel) We could see someone in the water but it did not appear that anyone was in distress.    We realized this was an exercise for the benefit of the Scouting Jamboree.   The Helicopter hovered directly in front of us approximately 25 ft over the swimmer.  The wind and spray that was generated from the helicopters rotors was intense.    It was then that a Coast Guard Frogman jumped from the helicopter into the water along with the swimmer.    A rescue basket was lowered and the swimmer was loaded and pulled to up to safety.    A rescue sling was then lowered and the frogman was pulled out of the water and rejoined the rest of his crew aboard the Helicopter.   It was impressive to watch especially having a front row seat as we did.   The helicopter did one last circle around DD and a slow cruise up the beach.   The cheering of the scouts could be heard over the drone of its engine and we applauded as well.    As a fitting end to a day filled with rescues, we were treated that evening to a fireworks display and live music coming from the Park.    The rain had abated and we sat in our hammock on the deck under starry skies and enjoyed a wonderful end to a very eventful day.

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A Good Turn Daily!

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In keeping with the scouting tradition, Michael did his good deed of the day and came to the aid of a fellow boater, with Mighty Mouse once again pressed into service as a rescue boat.    A Single Hander by the name of Chuck had traveled from Samana in the DR headed home to Boqueron, Puerto Rico aboard his boat Ronin.  He had engine trouble and then his Autopilot went out.   The weather window for the Mona  Passage had been predicted as fairly calm but Chuck spent at least 5 hours in 30 -35 knot winds and big waves .  He finally made it just outside of Boqueron Harbor and droppned anchor at about 8:00pm the night before.    He was exhausted and so did not risk sailing alone through the reef and into the harbor.  He had called his girlfriend, Lolin in the morning to tell her he was back and to see if she could find someone to help tow him the last 3 miles to safety.    Lolin had come into the Restaurant where Michael and I were attempting to access the internet.   It was the only restaurant where she knew anyone.   Terry, a friend of Chucks, was working there and when she explained his situation he came over to our table and asked if we were on a boat and if we had a big enough engine to assist him.     Michael hopped into Mighty Mouse and stopped by DD to fuel up and gather some gear and a radio before heading out the 3.5 miles to where Ronin was anchored.   Lolin contacted Chuck via cell phone and told him help was on the way.   Mike made his way out to Ronin and tied Mighty Mouse along side.   The waves were about 3 ft and a Mike had to stay in the Dingy for much of the tow to keep Mighty Mouse under control.   He was finally able to tie off the engine once inside the harbor buoy and climb aboard Ronin.   Chuck was extremely grateful for the help.   I stayed with Lolin as we watched them come into the harbor and anchor.   A very wet Michael brought a weary but thankful Chuck and his large gray tabby cat,Thomas ashore to the welcoming arms of Lolin.   We said our goodbyes and made plans to meet up with Chuck and Lolin for dinner at Chucks home the next evening.

Ronin at Anchor in Boqueron Harbor...At Last!

Beautiful, Busy, Boqueron

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We had settled into relaxation mode, taking daily swims to cool off and walks around the town and even hanging our hammock up on Deck.  Boqueron is a lively place at night and on the weekends as it fills up with college kids and families that come to enjoy the atmosphere and the beach scene.   Music pours from doorways and windows of homes, bars and restaurants.  Colorful roadside vendors sell a variety of food including fresh oysters and clams on the halfshell, jewelry, t-shirts, and of course winning lottery numbers, while local artists display their wares and talents.   The 1/2 mile long beach and the park behind it fill with locals and even more music.  There are rows and rows of bungalows in the park and along the beach provided by the park service, it is somewhat like upscale camping.   Families bring their coolers filled with food and drink and stay for the entire weekend.     We were walking through the other day and watched as dozens and dozens of porta-toilets were strategically placed throughout the park and the grounds were marked off in a grid pattern.    We discovered that the beach and park would be even busier this weekend as there is a Regional Boy Scout Jamboree taking place here.    We watched and the Scouts began to arrive and set up their tents.   It brought back a lot of great memories of time spent with Corey and Sage at various scouting events.  That is until 4:45 this morning when they began to play reveille through loud speakers mounted on a truck that drove around the park grounds blaring what I can only describe as a Puerto Rican version of a marching band tune played continuously for 45 minutes and interspersed with sirens and other loud sounds to drive the scouts, and a few sailors, from their beds.    From the boat we can see the different troops in a rainbow of matching color t-Shirts participating in a variety of events and activities along the beach.

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Hospitality continues!

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After a great nights sleep and our wonderful encounter with Umberto we added the additional jugs of diesel to our tanks and motored on the additional 12 miles to Boqueron.   We dropped anchor and jumped overboard to cool off and swim.   The water was a chilly 87 degrees……Aaaaaahhhhh!      We took Mighty Mouse over to the local dingy dock and took a walk around the town.   An older local gentleman spoke to us in Spanish and when we asked him in Espanol to speak slower he immediately switched to English and told us it would begin raining soon.  When we asked when he said about 15 minutes.  He was right on the money and so we stood in the doorway of a local bar as the storm passed.    We continued our walk down the beach and around the town and covered about 4 miles.   It was a great walk (in flip flops, of course).    As we walked down the dingy dock we met Julio.  He was raised here in Puerto Rico but also lives in New Orleans.   He just recently retired as an engineer and was back here visiting family and trying to figure out where he wants to spend part of the year.   He told us about a great local place to eat and to try the Mufungo, a local dish made with mashed plantains and filled with seafood.   He said he would be going there with his sister, brother-in-law, & girlfriend.   We decided we would take his recommendation and headed over to D’Tapas Restaurante.   The Mufungo was delicious.   We saw Julio and he called us over to his table to meet his girlfriend , his family and his friend Edmundo.   We were invited to sit with them and immediately had a beer in our hand.  We enjoyed a number of drinks and some terrific conversation.  Julio’s girlfriend Margarita is retired Navy and had some great stories and a wonderful laugh.   Julio’s sister Maritza and her Husband Armando own an Oyster Bar about 45 minutes north of Boqueron in Isabela.  By the end of the evening we had been extended an invitation to visit them in Isabela to hear them sing.  They are not only the proprietors but also the live entertainment on Friday nights.  They also offered to put us up in their beachside bungalow.   Again….what wonderful hospitality!  We exchanged contact information and if we stay around through next week we may take them up on their offer.

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Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

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We dropped Mighty Mouse into the water and geared up to head into Mayaguez to clear customs.    We followed the instructions in our Guidebook that instructed us to clear customs at the government dock.  The government dock wanted to charge us $25.00 to tie our dingy up there so we opted to beach her about ½ mile away and walk to the office.    When we arrived we were told that this was a branch of the customs office but since we needed to clear through immigration as well we would need to go to the office about a mile down the road to do both.     This is also listed in our guidebook as the customs office.   Oh well,  we needed to be out walking anyway after being on the boat for 44 hours.   My only problem now is my inability to wear any other shoes besides flip flops.   I get blisters from all my other shoes now.    I was still nursing a blister from walking around Puerto Plata and the Waterfalls and now have a couple of new ones from my Chacos.   The bottoms of my feet however have become very tough, although it is not recommended to go without something on your feet especially in third world countries or anywhere with an open sewer system.    It took about an hour to clear customs and immigration as we found out a decal is now required to be able to clear back into any US territory via the automated telephone system for US Citizens arriving by private vessel.     We will purchase one online when we have internet again.     After clearing into Puerto Rico we stopped for a couple of beers at a roadside stand near the waterfront before making our way back to Mighty Mouse,  that we had locked to a tree on the beach.   We stopped at a small local grocery store on the way and found the prices to be very reasonable so we purchased a beef tenderloin, pork chops, chicken to restock the freezer and a few additional provisions were we low on and carried them back to our Dink.   We also found a bakery and picked up a hot fresh loaf of French bread.   The people here have been very welcoming and most are bilingual.   We were asked by the man in the bakery if we were the people from the boats that arrived in the harbor that morning?   We have only been in the country a few hours and we are already infamous.  Or perhaps we just stick out like a bunch of sore thumbs being the only gringos in this part of the neighborhood.      We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner on the boat.    The next morning I rode with Mike and David back to the beach as both boats needed additional fuel before continuing on to Boqueron.     I dropped them on the beach and stayed with the Dingy.  We had seen a place to purchase diesel about ¼ mile from the beach and so the boys took off empty diesel jugs in hand.    I did not envy them the walk back, in the rapidly increasing heat and humidity.    They did not make it but about 50 steps from the beach when a local gentleman by the name of Umberto stopped his car and told them to get in.   He said he would take them to the gas station.   When Mike mentioned that he was heading to the one we had seen the day before Umberto said he knew someone there.  That station was for refueling large trucks and only sold in large quantities but after a mas rapido exchange in espanol between Umberto and his friend, he was able to talk them into selling Mike and David enough to fill their jugs and then gave them a ride back to the beach.     He showed them where he lived and explained that if they needed anything else just to knock on his door.  Talk about instant hospitality what a great welcome.   Thanks Umberto!

Just a little tired after the Crossing.
Mayaguez

Puerto Rico here we come

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Well we had planned on staying in the Domincan Republic for up to 3 weeks but as always when an opportunity for good travel presents itself we must take advantage.    We have a great weather window for making the normally difficult crossing of the infamous Mona Passage from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico.   The seas and winds are predicted to be fairly minimal and being that it will take us almost 48 hours straight to get there I welcome a calm passage.   We will be buddy boating with David and Trudy on SV Persephone as we travel south for as long as it works out that our plans coincide.    We spent Sunday doing Laundry and purchasing a few more fresh provisions for the journey.    Mike filled the extra 2 diesel jugs in the event we will need the additional fuel to make the crossing.  Our engine burns approx 1 gallon per hour and we have a 50 gallon tank but of course that we can burn more or less depending on the sea and wind conditions.     We planned on obtaining our despacho papers on Sunday and leaving first thing in the morning on Monday but of course, best laid plans…..etc.   It turns out Immigration is closed on Sundays and we had to check out with them before we could get a despacho from the commandante.   Monday morning we had an American breakfast special in town and the Upper Deck Restaurante and then walked back down to Immigration.   The officer we were told was not expected until 9:30am that day.     We finally completed our paperwork for a dispacho to Samana, DR in the event we would need to stop along the way due to unexpected weather or any boat problems.  Having the dispacho issued for Samana, DR would allow us to stop there without having to pay too much in additional fees to reenter the country.    After paying our dispatch fees of $20.00 and having a couple of soldiers accompany us back out to our boats for inspection we were able to leave around 11:00am.   It was nice having Persephone as a buddy boat, we would check periodically even when we lost sight of each other.    Mike was a little stressed when we ran into some current in light winds on a close reach and occasionally on the nose and it looked like we might not have enough fuel to make the crossing even with the extra 10 gallons.    We opted to change course slightly and check in at Mayaguez which shaved an additional 12 hours off our crossing.   It was a long but uneventful passage which was really appreciated by me after the last couple of rough overnight passages.  We ended up sailing and motor-sailing through comfortable seas and gentle swells, I was able to read on my watch the entire time (Books Read: A Thousand Splendid Suns & The Help).   After 44 hours we dropped anchor in Mayaguez Harbor, Puerto Rico around 7:00am.

Mona Passage Sunset