Vieques: Serene bays and beautiful beaches

Vieques naval bombing area with OP barely visible at top of mountain 

I didn’t get to visit Vieques when I did a bareboat charter in 2001, so I wanted to visit when we were in the area this time. Since there was no chance of running into a Navy ship on the firing line, last Thursday we sailed right by the old shore bombardment range and could clearly see the Observation Post (OP) used to call in the fire missions and grade the exercises. The cruising guide showed an anchorage in the bay, but with quite a bit of confused wind chop and swell running, we continued downwind to Ensenada Honda, described as one of the “Hurricane Holes” in the area.

Troubadour at anchor in Ensenada Honda

The protecting reef was long and visible, and the depths across the bar were not quite as shallow as charted when we worked our way back to the NE and into the calm bay. The bay is fairly large, and over 30’ deep in the middle, so we worked our way to the SE and anchored behind a rise which gave us a good break from the wind and kept us out of any wind chop. The bay remained virtually ours for the two days we lounged, snorkeled, swam, and explored in the dinghy; we saw one other cruising boat and one fishing boat in the bay.

Entering the narrow, shallow cut to Ferro Bay

Ferro Bay opens south to the Caribbean Sea, the anchorage can get rolly

On Sunday we motored the five miles to Ferro Bay, one of the two bioluminescent bays on the south coast. Arriving near high tide gave us two feet of water under the keel as we navigated into the bay and anchored in 10’ of water near several boats stored there, and discovered there were several more boats stored back in the mangrove creek. Our evening swim did indeed generate a plume of glow upon plunging in, and a halo of luminescence around any kick or paddle. It’s not quite as bright as the time lapse photos, but was cool to finally see for ourselves.

Four good mooring balls are available in Sun Bay
 (we snorkeled them and checked)

Sun Bay beach is more than a mile long, the water crystal clear

Ferro Bay opening is fairly straight and open to the S, and as a result we rolled mildly as we faced into the mostly E breeze. I noticed one boat had a stern anchor out, but we slept through the rolling and arose the next morning to move on to Sun Bay. There are four public moorings in good shape on the E end of the bay, and we took one to get us out of most of the swell working its way around the corner, or reflecting off the jagged rocks on the far side of the bay. The charts show a shallow area between Cayo de Tierra, on the west end of Sun Bay, and the Esperanza dock. Walking the beach, we could see rock and sand bridging this gap all the way across.

The public dock and the Malecón in Esperanza

We dined at Duffy's and enjoyed the microbrew beers

Which beer did Chris choose?

Wednesday we set off in light winds and calm seas to head back to Culebra via the west end of Vieques. The wind filled in to give us a great reach down the south coast, but started backing too quickly as storm clouds worked their way across the area. When briefly headed by winds from the west, we  motorsailed briefly before the winds restored from the SE and we were rocketing towards Dakity in rainy conditions. Alas, the winds started dying after another hour and we had to fire up the “Iron Genny” for the last ten miles.

Storms and rain squalls made for a wet journey back to Culebra

It was right about this point when we caught our second fish of the journey (at least the second one we landed!), a 3’ king mackerel. Linda saw it hit the lure (a green lure, meant for Mahi), and I donned the gloves then reeled in the hand line. Linda didn’t get a hit with the gaff, but I was able to swing him onboard with the line. Once again, the vodka didn’t seem to do as much as putting the guy in a black plastic bag. Next time I think the vodka goes in the captain’s mouth!

A gift from Neptune! 

We’re back on the same mooring at Dakity with the fish filleted, and guts likely gobbled up by the tarpon that started swimming around as soon as we started cleaning. Storms last night took care of washing off all the salt from the salt water washing of the fish blood and gore! A bit rainy today, and Bernie the TV weatherman says things will stay wet for a few days. We will try to find a dry interval to get into the market for some fresh fruit and veggies tomorrow, and then will get back to the boat projects.

Written by Captain Chris

Fairwinds 

Culebrita: So many shades of blue

Culebrita Reef as viewed from the lighthouse

In between the usual cleaning and boat chores, we’ve been visiting the sites and sights of Culebra and Culebrita. We headed over to Tortuga Bay for a snorkel and lunch, but the swells were working their way in around the corner so we re-located to the SE corner of Culebrita. The snorkeling there was very nice, but here the wind chop was still making the boat roll a bit too much for comfortable sleeping. We decided on Almodovar bay, which looked very calm as we passed it on our trip to Culebrita, and only a mile away.

Tortuga Bay, Culebrita, with lighthouse in background 

Almodovar Bay in the distance, where we are currently moored.

Entering late with the sun in our faces, we discovered the chart chip defines the mangrove shoals a bit differently than reality, so we cleaned a bit of growth off the keel before backing off and finding the center of the bay entrance. Not enough to knock off any barnacles, so I’ve still got some more cleaning to do, but not as much growth as I would expect after not moving much over the last five months. It was indeed well protected, and nearly empty as we shared the seven free moorings with two other boats. It has become our favorite anchorage to escape the loud music (weekends) and boat wakes in Dakity.

The reef 20 feet below our mooring at Culebrita

We have been back to Culebrita for more snorkeling and a hike to the lighthouse, which gave us a good overview of the reef running along the south side of Culebra. When the latest weather trough was approaching and the wind died, we took the dink over for some snorkeling and to see if it was worth breaking out the dive gear (we decided to pass). Although we see a lot of healthy staghorn and elkhorn coral, and lots of gorgonians like corky sea fingers, we did not see many adult fish, only a few parrotfish, and lots of juveniles and smaller reef fish like goatfish, basslets, and damselfish. Not sure if the reefs have been overfished, or if the adults are just somewhere else. We did run into a few schools of tangs, and there are quite a few tarpon that hang out under the boat when we’re on the mooring. The turtles seem to be doing well; we’ve seen a few every place we’ve moored.

The Dinghy Dock Restaurant serves microbrews

The Dinghy Dock carries Old Harbor Brewery microbrews, so we tend to tie up there (free), and then it’s hard to get back aboard without having one or more of their Pale Ales. There is a nice library (free) only a few blocks away, and we’ve donated some of our books as well as taking advantage of the opportunity to read a few new books we won’t have to haul with us. The produce vendors set up on the main road on Fridays, assuming the ferry hasn’t broken down, allowing us to stock back up on pineapple, mangoes, bananas, tomatoes, and onions.

Although small, the Culebra library has an awesome selection of books,
 as well as WiFi, and computers

Since it appears the hurricane season is winding down without a late season storm (knock on wood!), we will likely check outa few more areas on the western side, and Vieques, over the next week or two before turning in our library books and heading over to St Thomas.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, in the distance on the horizon

Fairwinds

Written by Captain Chris  

Ah, Culebra



Some things can only be said with pictures!

On Monday we packed a lunch and rented bikes, $15 for the whole day (a 24-hour day!). Our first journey took us to over a few hills to Flamenco Beach. We considered sailing here but with the swells and waves from Phillipe, it made more sense to see it by land. After walking the beach, checking out the iguanas and turtles in a small mangrove inlet, and eating our lunch in the shade at the kioskos, we ventured onward. We rode back up a hill to take in the view of Ensenada Honda to the southeast and Flamenco Beach to the north. Spectacular.

We rode along Ensenada Honda to find Shark's restaurant and bar and the museum. We learned the museum was only open on Friday - Sunday, but that didn't stop us. We continued on for a short distance to find that Shark's is under new ownership as  Sea Breeze Hotel at Costa Bonita. A beautiful resort and restaurant. Although the restaurant was closed (it's off season and only open on weekends) we were able to buy a couple of beers at the air conditioned gift shop and walk the grounds. The views are stunning.  

A little rain shower cooled us down for our ride back to Dewey and the Dinghy Dock Bar & Restaurant where we enjoyed another beer before taking the dinghy back to Ensenada Dakity.

On Tuesday, we left our mooring for a day trip to Lana's Cay at Luis Pena for another chance to snorkel the large reef. We picked up a mooring directly over an old ship wreck in 20 feet of crystal clear water. The bay is protected from the easterly winds and although the seas were still running a little southeast, we were able to snorkel in calm waters in the protected cove. We arrived back at our mooring ball in Ensenada Dakity in time for our sundowners.

Just another lovely day in Culebra.   

Ahoy! Isla de Culebra

Goodbye, Rosie!

We said our "see you out there" goodbyes to our friends at Roosevelt Roads on Friday, Sept. 30,  at 10 am (well before the 6 pm deadline), and left the harbor in 8 to 10 knots of breeze.


The island of Vieques

A beatiful blue sky, a soft breeze, small swells, and the sound of trickling water on the hull as we moved along infused us with the peace and joy of sailing again. But the feeling was short-lived. There wasn't enough wind - 4kts - to get us to our destination in daylight! We toughed it out for an hour and then enlisted "Perkins" to motor sail the remaining distance toward Culebra.



Lana's Cove, Isla Luis Pena

We arrived at Lana's Cove on the small island, Cayo Luis Pena, at 2 pm. This arrival marked an anniversary of sorts for Chris, whose last visit to this island and the Spanish Virgin Islands was in 2001. We picked up a mooring ball and went for a refreshing snorkel, spotting three small sea turtles along the reef. The seas appeared to be getting a little choppy, and the wind was predicted to shift, so the captain suggested we continue on to Ensenada Honda in Culebra. 

Arriving in Ensenada Dakity, Culebra

An hour after we left Cayo Luis Pena, we picked up a mooring ball in 20 ft of water in Ensenada Dikity just south of Ensenada Honda. This is a reef protected area where the DNR has put in many mooring balls and it wasn't crowded so we had our choice.  We arrived in time to enjoy our Sundowners - a Sam Adams Light (for the captain) and a Blue Moon (for the admiral). The sunset, the moon, and the stars of the Milky Way were our gifts at the end of a beautiful day on the water.

Ensenada Honda, as viewed from the Dinghy Dock Restaurant, Culebra

 

Cheers y'all!

Preparations to leave Roosevelt Roads

The grass is getting a little shaggy at the marina...

As mentioned last week, things are drawing down quickly here.

The “Troop Store”, or Mini-Mart/Class 6 depending on what flavor base you were stationed, closed last Saturday and the operators (AAFES) are busy moving out all the inventory, displays, freezers, ice machines, and today, even the paper towel dispensers in the bathrooms. Some of the boats have moved on, and others are hanging on until the last minute (and, I suspect, beyond the last minute for some).

A number of the boaters were on hand this weekend, and we had a fun little get-together at the club, with Tim from Spirit Charters playing harmonica and me playing guitar. It’s always nice to have someone to jam with!

but not as wild as the old golf course!

We didn’t get to top off our diesel before they ran out, but have plenty to last us until we get to St. Thomas. We got a rental car for the final time yesterday and ran out for groceries and West Marine necessities. We’re doing a last load of laundry today and trying to complete any “to-do” list items that might require a lot of electricity.

The current plan is to head for Culebra on Friday, and spend some time there prior to continuing the journey. Keep an eye on the SPOT!

Dodging Maria

View of Salinas Harbor from our anchorage.

After the bumps and bruises on the tail of Hurricane Irene, we weren’t too happy about the path Maria was taking. She appeared to be going east and north of us, but we still worried about a south swell after her passing and that’s what got uncomfortable during Irene.

Having just loaded up on food and supplies, we took on fuel and water, then decided to head south and west, away from the projected path of Maria. On Friday Sep 9th, we took in our doubled lines, started the engine, and backed out of the slip for the first time in over two months. About halfway out of the harbor, the engine died. Bad fuel? Leak? What could it be? Oops, the fuel valve past the primary filter was shut during Irene when the marina lost power, to facilitate my bleeding/starting our generator. Forgot to open that one up prior to getting underway! At least we were still in relatively calm water, so bleeding the injectors and getting the engine started again after opening the valve wasn’t TOO painful.

That was the only hiccup on the way south, where we pulled into Puerto Patillas for the evening just after sunset.That is, unless you count the loud karaoke coming from shore until the wee hours. “My Way” in Espanol, anyone? As a result, we slept in a bit on Saturday before continuing on to Salinas. The inner harbor at Salinas was still a bit crowded for our taste, so we anchored in the outer approaches in the lee of the mangroves. We had a calm evening and spent Sunday working on little projects around the boat and reading. On Monday a bit of swell started making it in to our anchorage area while we went ashore with Sam & Janet from Flying Fish for lunch. After our return, we hemmed and hawed about trying to find a spot closer in or gutting it out. We finally decided to head for “Mar Negro”, the mangrove lined inlet just to the east of Salinas. The mouth of the inlet is totally protected by barrier islands and reefs, resulting in pond-calm water about 20 feet deep in the center. There were only a few boats there when we passed on the way west, and that was still the case as we dropped anchor just after sunset once again.

We relaxed amongst the rain-showers and kept an eye on the weather as Maria slowed down, at one point to only 4 knots! We coveted the unusual southwest winds (which would push us back towards Roosevelt Roads instead of having to motor into the winds), but didn’t want to brave the higher seas and rain squalls, so we waited until Thursday the 15th to head out. The seas were down to around three feet, about as good as it gets, and as it appeared a swell was still running into the Puerto Patillas bay, we decided to push on to Roosevelt Roads. The wind, forecast to be SE, actually stayed SE for once and allowed us to raise the sail for the final seventeen miles, allowing us to make better time and sail into the bay by 2:30 PM. We moored at “home” and were cleaned up by happy hour.

The parcel of land that includes the marina has been sold to local government, and will be turned over on October 1. Before we left, the question was whether the marina would be administered by the National Guard or the local yacht club as a tenant. When we returned, we found out the latest news is that the Naval Activity Puerto Rico (official name for the remnants of Roosevelt Roads Navy Base) sent notification that they require ALL tenants to depart by Oct 1, to remain vacant until the National Guard sets up access, security, insurance, etc. – and any property left behind will be considered “abandoned”.

This doesn’t have too much impact on us, as we were planning on moving on by Oct anyway, now we just have a hard deadline. Some of the boats, however, have been here for many years and I’m not sure they’ll be able to move in the next two weeks. Should be interesting!

Getting over the hurdles

Troubadour’s repairs are almost completed. It’s been over a week since Irene blasted through Pelican Roost Marina here in Puerto Rico. Right now, as I write this, Chris is playing guitar and singing, “City of New Orleans”. He is taking a much needed break.

Damage to the bookshelf

The “Irene” damaged cabinet, which had the screws ripped out of the wall when we slammed into the dock, required re-gluing of the plywood, as well as a little teak veneer to repair

splintering.





Setting up the salon as a "workshop"
 to make repairs to the bookshelf

In order to do this small repair, we had to remove the bookshelf, bead board and back board. All three were placed in the center of the boat creating a thigh high hurdle to step over each time we wanted to sit in the salon.

The salon with the bead board and shelving removed
to reveal the fiberglass hull so we could find leaks

After the fiberglass hull was exposed we discovered leaks coming from the toe rail and stanchion base from work done in the boat yard in 2008.

The salon before books are added to the shelves



As I said earlier, a week after Irene our small repairs are nearly finished. The salon is back to normal – no more climbing over the boards; we rebedded the toe rail with new screws, tested our repairs and found no more leaks, and the new chocks are on the way from Beneteau in France. While the bimini was secured and other canvas was removed for the storm, I took the time to do some canvas repairs.

It all could have been so much worse. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are still putting their lives back together. 

Breathe in, breathe out. Move on.   

It happened one night



Scenes from the dock walk the morning after

 Tropical Storm Irene arrived on Puerto Rico about 20 miles southwest of us. As she crossed the island she was upgraded to a hurricane with sustained 70 – 75 knot winds. At the marina we saw 50 knot winds. Troubadour's injuries were the human equivalent of minor cuts and bruises.

In the darkness of night we couldn’t see the damages. But in the morning we found we had broken the castings on two chocks, and lost a roller from a third chock; the port aft cleat wriggled loose; the port hull was splotched with black smudges from hitting the dock (it looks worse than it is), and in the end, we had snapped three double braid Dacron ¾ inch lines.  Moments before the starboard amidships line snapped we jerked hard and Troubadour smashed into the dock. The fiberglass hull flexed in with enough force to knock the bookshelf above the settee inside the boat out of its support screws separating it from the bulkhead/wall.  

Troubadour sustained damage to three roller chocks
 and an inside bookshelf, as well as suffering through many scuff marks on the hull.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our friends and family still in the path of this terrible storm. 

Puerto Rico Day Trips - Old San Juan

Our trip to Old San Juan began in a driving rain that forced us to shelter in restaurant doorways while trying to read our tourist map and make our way to the sights. We watched as the rain filled  storm drains to capacity and gushing rainwater bubbled out of manhole covers. We sheltered at Senior Frogs, then dashed across the street to avoid ankle deep puddles, and waited for the rain to stop again at the tourist information center. That's when we struck gold (as in rum) and saw Casa DonQ!

If we were going to get wet, why not quench our thirst, too, with the #1 rum in the land of Puerto Rico! Stepping over a low barricade across the entryway to keep the water out, while letting  tourists in, we dried off in the warm ambiance of the tiny storefront museum. We followed the history of the art and science behind making DonQ Rum described in posters along the walls, laughed at a collection of Don Quixote statues (hence the name "Don Q") and ended up at the tasting bar! Who knew? I know we were there at least an hour if not longer.  While chatting it up with a young couple from New York on their honeymoon, we all sipped generous shots of the rums distilled under the DonQ label. I savored DonQ Coco, an exceptional coconut rum, on the rocks, while Chris compared the Anejo to the Brugal we purchased in the Dominican Republic. He didn't think it was as smokey flavored (such a conossiuer he is becoming)!  For his grand finale, he tried the DonQ Passion...use your imagination! http://donq.com/

 
The rain let up long enough for us to search out El Arsenal (The Arsenal Museum). Built in 1800, it was a naval station and then home to the Spanish military following the Spanish-American War. We couldn't even get close because of the "lake" of rain water flowing through the gates. An about face pointed us in the direction of sculptures and verdant terracesof the centuries-old fortifications of old San Juan.

Meandering along in a light drizzle, we entered the city gates dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1508 Juan Ponce de Leon founded the original settlement. We found this tidbit of history serendipitous because we spent our first year refitting Troubadour in Ponce Inlet, FL (so named after the famed exploreer).

Once inside, the real charm of the old city comes to life with its Spanish style flat-roofed architcture and blue cobblestone streets. Small store fronts revealed modern stores like Ralph Lauren and Coach nestled among museums and art galleries, boutiques, bars and restaurants. 


The aroma of burgers on the grill grabbed at our tummies and followed our noses to a place called Booty's on a sloping hill where we split a yummy, sloppy burger with fries, and a side of onion rings, along with beers (of course).  The day trip turned out be a lot of fun and we are thinking of going again, because after all that waiting in the rain, we just weren't up to going through the museums and forts (to be completely honest about it).

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/

The Vagabond Life

El Yunque Rain Forest

Welcome to the new blog of Troubadour, we are glad you're here. If you've been following us on Sailblogs, we are delighted that you'll be continuing the journey with us to destinations in the southern Caribbean. We hope you like the new face of Troubador. Since I like taking a lot of pictures I am hoping the features of Blogger will give me greater flexibility in posting pictures. Chris wants it to be easy to use for posting quick updates.

We are currently docked at Roosevelt Roads Naval Base/ Pelican Roost Marina which was the largest (in land mass) US Naval base. It has been closed for about six years, and is now in the process of being sold to the Puerto Rican government. Plans are underway to divide the land for commerical, retail and resort development. We're not sure how much longer we will stay. 

Troubadour in her slip at Pelican Roost Marina,
Roosevelt Roads Naval Base, Ceiba, Puerto Rico

The price is right for now and as long as the weather remains stable, we will continue working on projects before moving on. As for the weather, we feel very secure in our slip and will do what is necessary when needed.