CURRENT LOCATION: Tied to a mooring ball in Ensenada Dakity, near the entrance to Ensenada Honda, on the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico

18 17.442' N, 065 16.844' W

High pressure systems 'up north' are harbingers of good weather. Fair skies and moderate winds usually accompany the big H on the weather map. Not true here down island. High pressure systems tend to reinforce the tradewinds, making for very windy conditions. We have been under the influence of several high pressure systems for the past week.

Here on our mooring ball, we are exposed to the full force of the winds, but the reef blocks most of the chop. This makes for fairly comfortable conditions. Even so, there is still a little wave action. Swimming off the boat is possible, if you time your breaths to grab air before the peak of a wave (otherwise you find yourself choking on saltwater). A snorkel tube makes swimming a bit easier.

Trips to town (about 1.5 nautical miles from here) require that we travel the length of Ensenada Honda, where the fetch can build big waves. Even with our new and improved tender transportation, we still tend to get splashed (but no longer soaked, as we would in little Patience). Therefore, we try to limit our time in town until conditions settle.

Many boats in the harbor have plans to push onward to the Virgin Islands, but have been 'trapped' here by the high winds. It has given us a chance to say hello to those few boats we know from anchorages past. In addition, at a recent DVD exchange organized by cruisers in the harbor we were able to swap some of our movies. Therefore, the occasional movie night aboard Prudence has been invigorated with a few fresh films.

Mostly, though, our time is devoted to leisure reading. We are chewing through our supply of paperbacks at a relatively rapid pace. Fortunately, in all areas where cruisers congregate, businesses host book exchanges. Culebra is no exception to this rule, and at least two places in town have bookshelves devoted to this practice. Just take in your completed books and pick up an equal number of used (but new-to-you) novels. No cost reading, an ideal situation for those of us living on a shoestring budget.

As a final note, we believe that we have resolved our internet issues for the time being. Of course, we are on a remote island in the Caribbean, so there is no guarantee of continued service. So, if there is ever a pause in posting or response to e-mail, we can only beg that you bear with us, dear Reader. Know that we will keep the lines of communication open as often as we are able.