Thursday, Mar 29th

We left Esperanza on Wednesday and headed to the western edge of Vieques to a spot called Sunset Beach…Unfortunately the weather was grey most of today, so a sunset is out, but found this to be a long stretch of south pacific looking beach ringed with palm trees and mountains behind. We can see the lights from Puerto Rico, just 13 miles to the West of us. We tucked in pretty far, but found that it was pretty rocky and rolly, so glad that we are leaving.

Big Day of travel today…on to Salinas. We left Sunset about 6:30am, and found that the grey weather followed us. We had a downwind motor sail and it rained off and on for most of the day, so we were kept busy between the occasional jibes due to shifting winds and swabbing the water out of the cockpit. Only too bad I cant keep my water catch up while we are under way…if I could….our tanks would be overflowing!

We were outside of Salinas by 1:30 and joining us in the very wide entry way was the Swedish boat Flying Penguin, who just left our friends SeaQuest in Jamaica, and are on their way to St. Maarten. We chatted on the radio for a while then they anchored closer to the outside, and we kept motoring in to the inner harbor. By 2:30 we were anchored in the Mud (on the third try, cause we forgot you cant back down right away when the bottom is so soft) and settled into the lovely, very calm, mangrove ringed, busy anchorage of Salinas. The one interesting thing is since we are anchored in the mangroves there is a very particular smell to the water and air here….I presume we will get used to it? I certainly hope so.

Now it’s Pina Colada Time! And Ginny & John come over to relax before heading to shore to visit with their friends and explore tomorrow.