Capt Chris, sun sun sun, 80's
02/27/2008, Boqueron Puerto Rico

I snapped this picture just as I was heading to bed late yesterday afternoon. It is just lovely with all the palms swaying in the breeze and because it is an offshore breeze the waters near shore are tranqual. The cruising fleet as we speak are cooking up a plan for a big beach fire and cook out. Now the little town of Boqueron appears to be a little beach type community, certainly not affluent but not dirt poor either. I am still trying to get a handle on my surroundings. I have located the all important wi-fi connection and laundry mat. I think that the town observes the sacred siesta rules. Yesterday about 3pm the town was dead, ghost town like. I am very pleased however. Glen from Hearts Desire came by this morning for some coffee. We chatted for awhile and both of us agree we feel like five hundred pounds have been lifted from our shoulders with the Mona Passage being astern. I awoke this morning as if someone had been feeding me intravenous happy drugs. I took a swim while the coffee maker was brewing, I came back aboard and sat under my new awning in the early morning sun. Beautiful. Of course I turn on the news on my Sirius Sat Radio to hear about single digits and snow and I acknowledge how disconnected I am from such a situation. Not to rub it in, but today coming out of the Supermarket air conditioning I was hit by that blast furnace feeling that develops on a hot summer day in a black top parking lot. Beautiful.

Ok so onto the paperwork shuffle. Boqueron is not a port of entry so 11 of us chartered a van from Raul, the local guy. All ports have a local guy who caters to people like us with our unique problems. So we headed up the coast 15 miles or so to the commercial port of Mayaquez. I intially was going to call at Mayaquez but I had such good conditions and plenty of daylight I decided to keep going south to Boqueron. Anyway we arrived at the cruise ship terminal and took care of all the particulars. Then we headed to the Customs building downtown to finish up. The Canadian fleet had a ton of paperwork and they had to get their years cruising permit. Foreign yachts only can stay a year and then they must leave the US for at least two weeks and then reapply for another permit. Because I am so handsome and a US citizen I didn't have to go through all the hocus pocus. On our way back home we stopped at the Publico supermarket, which had everything you could ever want, except the only thing I wanted. I miss my Coffee Mate French Vanilla Creamer. I couldn't get any in the Bahamas, I found one jug in the Turks and Caicos and of course Dom Rep had nothing but "Free Range" creamer. Maybe my next port of call. So that's that.

It usually takes two to three days after a passage to get situated. I mean the boat still is very dirty, salt encrusted everywhere. I took on so much water over the bow the coveted v-bunks cushions are saturated with salt water and I could go on and on.

Comments [5]

Capt Chris
02/26/2008, Boqueron PR

Christa and crew safely dropped the secondary anchor today at 1:30pm in Puerto Rico. I am most pleased to have this leg over with. All in we travelled 269 nautical miles since Saturday night. We did the trip in about 55 hours or so.

Last night the conditions remained nice with 10 knots of east wind which allowed us to continue motor sailing at about 5 knots. I slept very little as we had some shipping traffic in the Mona Channel and I didn't want to saddle up Tony and Laura with that responsibility. Again the AIS unit was extremely useful. Speaking of helpful both Tony and Laura were great to have aboard. As they told me today at our late lunch ashore they really did have a great time. Laura had much more worry about the trip than she lead on and was pretty sick the first night which was by far the worst night.

The bay surrounding Boqueron is beautiful with post card like white sandy beaches with hundreds of mature palms swaying in the breeze. The town is a University type town with the college bohemian crowds piling in on the weekends. I have much to do during this stop. You all know I lost my main anchor and am now using the secondary anchor (33lbs Bruce) as my primary. I need to shop around and then figure out a way to get all the chain aboard. I also will replace my starter with a new spare that I have aboard. Having adequate spare parts aboard is really critical. I also experienced fuel filter clogging action again. I haven't experienced that since Florida. Bad fuel in Luperon? Maybe, but I changed out the filters the day before leaving Luperon prior to the due date. In hindsight this was smart as it prevented me from having to change the filters underway. In a seaway changing filters is difficult and very messy. So I will work on finding a company that polishes fuel tanks. I also will find a certified Yanmar guy to conduct the 1200 hour service on the plant. I ran the engine for almost 2 days straight without a rest and the rear seal in the transmission clearly is the correct size. So anyway I'm heading to bed for my first night's sleep ever in Puerto Rico. The anchorage is filled with about 15 other cruising boats, all of us very tired. Goodnight.

Capt Chris

Comments [2]

Capt Chris
02/25/2008, North Coast, Dominican Republic Near Cabo Samana

I will try and stop belly aching about these Dominican Capes that we have to negotiate. Plus if things keep going smooth, hell Team Chrisa be in PR tomorrow. So anyway once again I update you via my Sat Phone and this is why no graphic. You can always tell when I am posting remotely when no picture accompanies the blog entry. Yesterday I dropped anchor in Rio San Juan with the following sailboats. Hearts Desire, Snark, Enresi and Ultima Noche. Jerry Juggs were jugged into town and all hands topped up on fuel. I now having the distinct pleasure of having a crew dispatched Tony and Laura to gather Christa's fuel. I stayed aboard and caught up on sleep, checked the engine and her fluids, downloaded some weather and checked the navigation plan.

About 7pm the wind just died as it usually does in a harbor. You see that is the rub. You can have a total calm at anchor but just a scant mile away one of the dreaded Cabo's can have 20 knots and blistering seas. We all felt pretty good about 9:30pm and so we left. But......in true fashion we had a hitch or two. I went to crank the engine and heard the starter click click click. I believe I have a "dead spot" somewhere in the starter. I have had the click before but then after one or two she turns over. Last night not so. I pulled out an old trick and tapped the side of the starter and she fired. But now I was behind the 8 ball as the other boats were leaving. So I started hauling the anchor and wouldn't you know it, the hook was snagged and I mean good. I'll spare all hands the gory details, but in short I left my 45LBS CQR and 200 feet of 3/8 on the bottom. That should set me back $700 big one's. My only alternative was to stay the night and hire a diver from somewhere as the hook was in 30 feet of water and I can't fee dive that. This would have knocked out the window for Puerto Rico plus separation from the fleet. I decided to take the hit. Once underway we immediately started to round a monster Cape named Francis. It was blowing, bumpy and uncomfortable but nothing like two nights ago leaving Luperon. That was the worst. I love the Dominican Republic and would very much like to explore the island more, but I have had it with the north coast sailing. I'll will be happy to leave it behind and as I gaze off to starboard I am doing just that. I pretty much just rounded the last Cape and am very shocked and pleased to report a dead calm! Beautiful. I say pretty much because now my trackline gradually distances me off the coast into the Mona Passage. The north point of Hour Glass Shoal is 76 nm away and according to the GPS we should there in 14 hours or so. This is an area were the water is about 100 feet or so but is butts up to the Puerto Rican Trench which is the second deepest spot on the planent. Of course the Marinas Trench being the first. My point is it can be nasty with the huge volumes of water and it's associated energy being dispersed onto the shoal. We will give it a wide berth indeed.

So onto my crew members. The night before I was leaving Luperon I was at the computer at Capn Steve's restaurant taking can of business. I strike up a conversation with the fella next to me. Tony tells me he and his friend Laura came to the DR just a few days ago to backpack around and stay in the many hostels here. So they rub up against all the sailors in Luperon waiting to move east and they mention they would be interested in going on a jaunt. I tell him I am keen on finding some help moving Christa to PR. He says he is interested and that he and Laura would discuss it and sleep on it. Next they said they would like to come along. Viola, just like that. We had to do some fancy dancing with Immigration as they came via aircraft and are leaving on a boat. Confusion abound, but of course a "gift" got things situated. They both are from Bar Harbor main and have some boating experience. Laura is 22 and Tony is 26. They are responsible and mello and am very glad to have them aboard. We haven't spent alot of time talking as a low grade exhaustion has set in on us all. So when not on watch we all spend time trying to sleep.

Currently Christa is motor sailing on a port tack at 5 knots with about a 5 to 8 knot breeze but a bit of a sloppy sea. The forecast for the next two days is close to stellar. Apparently the Atlantic High has been pushed far far south and may even be sitting right over us. This has/will cause the trades to stay very light out of the ESE. Tony and Laura are splayed out on deck marveling at the 82 degree weather and the blue sea that surrounds us. Lets not forget they were in Maine less than a week ago. SPF 45 is flowing. I am perched in my blue chair tapping away and taking it all in. Am pleased and really looking forward to getting this difficult passage over with. My best guess is we will be in Mayagueze on the west coast tomorrow afternoon or evening. Please keep Team Christa in your thoughts and prayers.

Capt Chris

Comments [5]

Capt Chris
02/24/2008, Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic

I will keep this very short......tired. Last night about 10pm Christa and crew headed out the cut with a gaggle of other boats. Crew you say? That's right. I signed on two young people, Laura and Tony to help me move the boat to Puerto Rico. More on them later. In true fashion the whole fleet got pounded. Blast this coast! Around 4 am somewhere near Puerto Plata the seas and wind started to lay down.

We are just about to enter Rio San Juan, a small fishing village for fuel and rest. Many of us burned more fuel than anticipated due to pounding into the seas. On a positive note Christa power plant has been tested and is running great. She's been purring now for 12 hours. Very pleased that the engine is running strong once again. We should be fueled up and rested and rolling somewhere around sunset tonight for the 200 miles push to Puerto Rico. More later. Capt Chris

Comments [2]

Capt Chris, morning squalls
02/22/2008, Capn Steve's Restaurant, Luperon

Happy to report I have returned safe and sound from a two day jaunt to the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo. I launched out of Luperon with the Brown family, Jenny, Otis and there two kin Sammy (2) and Ben (5) and John and Jani from SV Another Adventure. We hopped aboard a big ole Greyhound style bus for the 5 hour trip across Hispanola to the south coast. I've said it before and will reinterated the island is visually magnificent. The highest mountain peak being 10,000 feet is impressive. So the bus made its way across the mountain range and deep into lush green valleys. We passed through tiny villages fraught with smiling people but extreme poverty.

We stayed in a Youth Hostel/Hotel at 50 dollars a night. The accomodations were just fine as far as I was concerned. Hot water, cable TV and air conditioning. Beautiful! The city is very very old with a rich history steeped in all things Columbus. The Spanish influence is everywhere. The "Zone Coloniel" has tons of restaurants lining cobble stone streets where you dine outside and watching the hundreds of people stream by. Mostly local Dominican and some tourists in my estimation. The Browns and I spend the touring a gigantic fort make of stone that was Diego Columbus (Chris's son) seat of power when he was the Govenor. Very impressive museum. Now the picture is the Statue of Christopher Columbus pointing toward Spain. The Church in the back round was the first to ever hold a Mass in the New World, circa 1493. The picture was taken near one of the restaurants that line the area. So you now have an idea of what it's like to sip your coffee or Beer and watch all the folks stream by in the tropical sun. On Thurday morning we all caught the Bus back to Luperon. An uneventful trip save for the crowing rooster an old man had in a bag under his seat.

So onto the weather picture. It seems to be shaping up nicely. A caravan of 14 boats are all planning on leaving Luperon this Saturday night to make the run to Puerto Rico. I will speak more about the specifics of the weather tomorrow and it will one day closer and therefore the forecast will be more accurate. Right now the Mona Passage is forecast to be 10 knots or less on Monday. Near perfect conditions. The transit along the north coast of the DR appear to be doable. I figure about 55 hours to Puerto Rico non-stop. That is a long way. So I will have alternatives in place in case it is to much. But more on that later. Gotta jam.

Capt Chris

Comments [1]