2-20-08
Dan and I departed Luperon with a full moon and a full lunar eclipse, a true sailing experience! We departed Luperon to Rio San Juan, D.R.
N19. 39.3
W70. 04.7
Rio San Juan is the first of three connections to reach Puerto Rico. Departing Luperon by 9pm, we reached Rio San Juan by 8:30 am (50 miles). Rio San Juan is a little fishing village and a resting spot for cruisers.

2-21-08
Our adventure towards Puerto Rico (day two)...Depart Rio San Juan to Escondido (50 miles in 13 hours, departing at 11pm and arrive at 1pm).
N19. 18
W69. 20
Our stay in Escondido was short but our favorite anchorage! Beautiful island untouched by civilization. Wish we could have stayed longer but we have a weather window to catch for the Mona Passage.

2-22-08
Escondido to Samana, D.R.
N19. 11.5
W69. 19. 1
Samana is known for their whale-watching season and is our last official stop before crossing the Mona Passage. We enjoyed a relaxing evening with Hot-Latte-Tudes and a dinner ashore (pizza)! Before our departure, we crossed the Napoleon Causeway over Samana Bay and collected some Dominican artifacts. Unfortunately, we did not manage to see 1 of the 3000 mating whales!

2-23-08 through 2-24-08
Crossing the Mona Passage and arriving in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
N17. 57
W66. 37
A perfect weather window for crossing the Mona...a 160 mile journey consisting of two nights and two days at sea...Dan and I slept in two-hour shifts, read books, and enjoyed a wonderful crossing. We decided to head for Ponce, Puerto Rico to clear customs, which led us into a short sail of ruff water but worth the journey! We are definitely back on U.S. territory...customs, security and Burger Kings. Dan and I took advantage of Ponce by touring cities historical sites and visiting their local Wal-Mart for provisions (yikes).

2-29-08
Depart Ponce for Caja De Muertos (coffin Island)
N17. 53
W66. 31
Caja De Muertos is a state park and a staging area for us to depart for Salinas. We enjoyed a hike to the light house built in 1891 and saw the largest cactus trees we've ever seen. Along the shoreline, we collected unique blue and green rocks.

3-01-08
Departed Caja De Muertos to Punta Salinas
N17. 56
W66. 17
While anchored in Punta Salinas, we ventured into the Marina, toured the local community, and found much needed laundry facilities (not much of interest). However, Punta Salina is a safe anchorage to leave your boat if you want to explore the island. Dan and I decided to rent a car and go exploring for a couple of days. We toured parts Puerto Rico including Old Town San Juan (El Marro Fortress, The San Cristobal Fort, The Bacardi factor and El Yunque National Forest in Rio Grande. Puerto Rico (Old San Juan) is rich with culture and architecture...beautiful...but we are ready to catch our next weather window and head for the Spanish Virgin Islands.