Have had a wonderful few months in the Leewards, Sint Maartin and Dominica. Visited Dominica and helped with their Dominica Yacht Appreciation Week, Feb 14-21 2016. Cant believe its a month ago alreardy! Then back north, finding more sargassum and invasive sea grass for Jim Franks of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Found a new addition to sargassum weed..what we think is Manatee Grass. Might be a way to track migration pattern of this messy stuff. Salinas is lovely..a perfect stop..as is Culebra. Culebra is the new Tobago Keys..with free moorings in the outer harbor area inside a glassy flat coral reef..boats sit in magestic silence riding to the wind behind the reef. Rod and Reel fishermen are seen walking along the coral heads looking for a catch of the day. Lunch was at the Dingy Dock with Sue Klumb who with her husband Rick, is the SSCA Host for Culbebra. What a power house of energy. They live in Culebra year around, head to the mangroves near Salinas in a hurricane.

Then we went to Salinas where we are now. Lovely family town..takes me back to the Florida of the 60s. Happy and cared for children, families all come to lunches and evenings together. Fridays are dress up nights, and the gals really know how to show their style! We have had dinner for most of the time we have been here, four days, at Jess Lassus restaurant, Sal Pa Dentro, newly arisen from the ashes of a fall 2015 fire. Hes back with a great new look to his restaurant--which the entire community of Salinas helped rebuild! Lovely place to sit and look over the water to the mangroves, watch the boats visiting the mangroves..watch the tarpons drifting by in the blue blue waters.The passage in to Salinas is tight, but has enough depth and when you get into the open harbor inside the channel there is room for a lot of boats. Some private moorings, ask Jean about his complementary ones. Anchor in good mud holding here! The marina has fuel and water, but access to fuel dock is difficult. However the service is great..the snack bar has a friday BBQ thats wonderful. The only better food is found at Sal Pa Dentro--the Mero (grouper fingers) amazing. And we have loved the combo platter which is a cross section of all good foods Puerto Rican! The cold beers, sunsets on the water looking out over the coral and mangroves-amazing. Salinas is a small fishing village, average income is 13K and the prices reflect it in the local stores. A 9.00 dinners is easily possible at Sal Pa Dentro. Janso/Jean and Anna are a wonderful couple, with their 'son' little yorkie terrier Diego. Our dogs loved him! Janso is there for crusiers..to help in any way he can. Today he will take us to get ships supplies. Later this week we will go to Ponce to refuel then likely head to St. Croix, then up to the BVIs to join up with the Salty Dawgs to head home to Virginia in May 2016.