Ok, lots going on. First off what a delight to be in Puerto Rico with the secure anchorage and all the ammenities a sailor needs within easy reach. I have been deep into boat projects since arriving. Yesterday I broke out my spare starter that I bought in Newport RI just prior to leaving. I had never changed out a starter before and in true fashion the anticipation of difficulty was more than the actual reality. I simply did some research first. I had my Yanmar manual out and I also checked with Nigel Calder in his Boat owners Marine Mechanical Manual and it looked easy. It was except for breaking the bolts which took some doing. So extraction and install went very well and took about 2 hours. But when I tried to crank the engine I got the dreaded click. Just one click. So I did some more troubleshooting and pretty much have determined that the starter was not bad and didn't need to be replaced. It is just fine that I did. Now I know how to change a starter. I did fire the engine by placing a screw driver across the terminals on the starter while turning the key. This bypassed the inginition switch and the engine fired. Now, I also think that my cranking battery is not accepting a charge. But I just don't know. I am still troubleshooting however and I'm not to sweaty about the situation. It all is a very good learning experience in a safe environment. I hope to be to the bottom of it by next week. I have Hector the certified Yanmar mechanic coming aboard sometime next week to do the 1200 hour service on the engine. I also have ordered tons of spares from Hector. So if I haven't figured out definitively what the starter problem is I'll put Hector on the case.

Onward and upward. Today I changed out the primary fuel filter after just 55 hours of engine running. Most boats that bought fuel in Luperon experienced fuel problems. I am not sure how much fuel I took on in Luperon. I estimate about 30 percent of my total capacity. Compared to other I had little trouble. I never had to change a filter I just had leading indicators that it was coming. So today I started filling up my tanks by jerry jug. As I poured the fuel through baja filter I could easily see the new fuel was pure and clean. I also added some fuel stablizer and a product called Killem All which kills microbes that may breed at the interface of water and fuel. So I think I'll be ok but will have the tanks polished at the earliest opportunity.

The anchor situation is complicated. I must have been smokin the chronic when I estimated the price to replace. I have done some shopping and have figured about $2000 to replace what I lost. Ouch! But lets not take a turn to negative town just yet. I spoke with a guy in Luperon and have tentatively contracted with him to hire a car, drive to Rio San Juan, hire a dive boat, retrieve my anchor setup, drive to Santo Dominigo and put it on a ferry. I figure we can do this somewhere around $500 dollars. Now it will require some trust as I will need to wire some operating money to this fella. The guy did alot of work for other cruisers, he is a Licensed Master and can operate. So tomorrow morning I'll meet up with Glen from Heart's Desire who knows the fellow and we'll take it from their. I'll keep you all briefed up.

The picture was taken during an afternoon stroll along the beach. Since arriving I have been doing mostly work. It is my policy to get the boat ready to sail again prior to exploring just in case I need to roll at a moments notice. I'm just about their. So you can see in the distance all the sailboats anchored. It is a wonderful place and a wonderful life.

Today I received my very first retirement check direct deposited by Uncle Sam. It is a pay cut indeed but as my buddy Glen pointed out today he is cruising on a third of what I will be getting paid per month. And let's not forget I don't have to go to work! I added another link called The World By Sea and I encourage all hands to check it out. Briefly I have been cruising in company with a boat called Ultima Noche with two 20 somethings aboard. They are sailing around the planet on a shoestring doing community service projects. They are very cool people and very idealistic. Their sight is awesome and I assure you all that you will enjoy it. I've asked them to write up a guest entry for my sight and hope they will do it someday. As an aside my former crewman Tony has now joined the crew of Ultima Noche and as for Laura....she parted ways and is now exploring the interior of PR. More later.

Capt Chris