CURRENT LOCATION: Anchored in Ensenada Honda, near town on Culebra
18 18.326' N, 065 17.979' W

One of our friends from the island has gone back to the continental United States for a few months. She has entrusted us with the care of her powerboat. It is a skiff (I would guess 15-16 feet long), powered by a 50 horsepower engine.

Sheryl and I decided yesterday to get a feel for this big dinghy. We moved it off of its current dock and motored slowly around the harbor for a while. Once we got comfortable with the way it handled we decided to go out to Dakity for a swim. First, though, we needed to do some close quarters handling drills in order to get some more gasoline.

The fuel station is located in a tributary off the 'canal.' Sheryl drove us under the bridge and around the corner, only to find that another boat (experiencing engine problems) was at the pumps. We told them we would circle around, and Sheryl used the opportunity to practice stopping the boat and maneuvering the backwards with reverse.

As we approached the fuel pumps the second time, the disabled boat had moved over enough to allow us access. Sheryl expertly glided the bow of the boat close enough so that I could step off with a line, then goosed it with a little reverse to pull the stern into this parallel parking spot.

She tossed me the stern line with a smile on her face, as we could have convinced any onlookers that we did this every day. That was, of course, until I unscrewed the wrong cap for the fuel tank. We located the correct cap for fuel filling and departed with the comfort of a full tank. Now we'll see how long this very expensive fuel lasts in such a large engine.

As a good engine warm-up for a boat which has sat idle for quite some time, we made the mile-or-so journey out to Dakity and tied off to a mooring ball. We hopped in the water for a swim and drifted over to say hello to Rick & Debbie on s/v Miss Heidi.

With the evening wearing late and the sun beginning to reflect off the surface of the water, we motored back to Prudence and tied this big dinghy off to a stern cleat. Securely in place with double lines and chafe gear, we'll take this boat around the harbor occasionally just to practice our handling skills and keep the engine exercised. Also, it is kind of nice to tool around on a transport which doesn't have the structural give of a milk carton and the feel of walking on a waterbed (otherwise known as our Porta-bote).