CURRENT LOCATION: Anchored in the Bahía de Boquerón, off the city of Boquerón, Puerto Rico

18 01.326' N, 067 10.804' W

We started writing lists soon after our departure from Luperon. Things we need to get in Puerto Rico and things we need to do in Puerto Rico. In addition to finding time for some much needed rest, we have spent some time here in Boquerón trying to check off a few items on the list.

We spent the first day here mostly catching up internet-related activities: posting pictures, uploading blogs, and responding to e-mail. Boquerón is mostly a weekender's town, so many of the businesses are not open mid-week. We sat out on the sidewalk in front of a closed internet café with a less-than-comfortable seat but a great internet connection.

The motoring we did along the north coast of the Dominican Republic and across the Mona Passage exacted its toll in terms of required boat chores. We needed more diesel fuel, and it was time for an oil change. We took care of both items on the same morning. 'Dirty chores,' is what we tend to call them and it is always best when we can group them together. Sheryl supplies the 'clean hands' (hand me a paper towel, turn on the deck wash, open this locker, etc.) while I get down and dirty, dumping diesel from jerry cans and pumping oil from the engine. By the time these chores are done, I am covered in diesel and used motor oil and ready for a shower.

After the shower, it seems like a good time to take those dirty clothes and others we have accumulated over the past few weeks into town to do laundry. The afternoons here have been regularly displaying 20+ knot winds in the harbor. In preparation for the ride in, I donned my full rain gear (coat and pants), while Sheryl decided to simply get wet (she would change into dry clothes at the laundry mat and wash her salt-soaked outfit). By the time we arrived, her eyes were red from the salt water blasting, and she looked like a very cute drowned rat. The deluge we had experienced even broached my protective gear, ever so slightly, and I spent the afternoon soggy in spots. In addition, the bags of laundry had grown extremely heavy and were a chore to lug to the laundry mat. Fortunately, the trend for the winds to settle toward early evening (and the fact that the trip back to the boat was downwind) allowed us to return clean clothing to the boat (still clean and dry) without much challenge.

Aside from the routine boat chores, we have begun to think in terms of some larger boat projects. The last few months has taught us a lot about what we like and dislike in terms of sailing the boat and living aboard at anchor. The question we have begun to ask ourselves is, "What can we do to make this or that work better?" From an ever-growing list, we have accomplished at least one major project. Just before we departed North Carolina, I built a simple swing arm which allowed our Garmin GPS to swing through the cockpit opening. This allowed for navigational viewing when underway and gave us an anchor status nightlight when we were not. Unfortunately, the arm was a bit cumbersome and made the unit stick out from the bulkhead a bit more than we desired. It was constantly in the way.

Today, we moved the GPS unit to a new permanent location, flush-mounted against the starboard bulkhead in the cockpit (under the other instruments). In its previous interior location, we installed a second Garmin GPS (a used black & white unit we picked up for $30 back in New Bern as a backup) as our nighttime anchor alarm system. All I need to do now is find a splitter which will allow me to run both from the same GPS antenna (for now, we will simply move the cable back and forth between the two units, dependent upon whether we are underway or at anchor). According to our research, there is a Radio Shack nearby one of our future stops in Puerto Rico. Look out civilization, here we come!

The project today required that we cut a new hole in the bulkhead, and cutting holes in the boat is something we are always hesitant to do. However, we bravely dug out the power tools, measured and marked, then re-checked our measures before committing to the cutting process. In addition to the initial cut, we also had to fashion a mounting plate to fit the hole we created from the scrap wood we carry in the bilge. I am happy to report that several hours of power tool operation put barely a dent in our solar panel charging progress. Into our inverter I had plugged a drill, sander, and saber saw at varying intervals throughout the morning and early afternoon. It is amazing to get this kind of AC juice from our DC system!

In addition to boat chores and boat projects, we have spent a bit of time in Boquerón enjoying such creature comforts as calzone and cold beer. They sell little 10-oz cans of a beer known as Medalla in all the local bars and convenience stores. In contrast, the Dominican Republic sells their beer, Presidente, in bottles which are nearly three-times the volume. I don't know what sort of sociological extrapolations one might make from this simple observation, but I am certain that they are both interesting and numerous (if you can remember them the next morning).

We have spoken with several other boats who were a day behind us in their crossing of the Mona Passage, and they experienced conditions more akin to the reputation the passage has built among cruisers (read: not a fun ride). Sheryl and I have had to restrain our tendency to smile ear-to-ear when we respond that our passage was a smooth and easy one. Although we cannot help but be self-congratulatory regarding our decision to push on to this destination despite our state of exhaustion, luck was the largest factor in our favor for a pleasant ride to Puerto Rico. We here aboard Prudence are not about to get cocky in the face of Mother Nature.

Tonight, we enjoyed sundowners aboard s/v Veleda IV, with Judy and Aubrey. They have been cruising on their 32-foot sailboat for the last 10 years. They have cruised from Toronto to the Caribbean (via the Mississippi River) to northern Europe and the Mediterranean, and then back to the Caribbean. It was a pleasure to spend the evening chatting with them and gathering ideas for future itineraries. It is a big world out there, and who knows where the winds of fate may eventually blow our boat? Keep reading for the answer, dear Reader, keep reading.