2009-2010 Caribbean / Bahamas Trip
March Pictures
A great change of pace. Friends from home had a house for a couple weeks on St. John. We celebrated one couple's anniversary and my birthday.
Jon, the doting husband
Paul, Linda's tropical mate. Still going strong after 30 years of marital bliss..
Back to cruising....We are now heading for the south coast of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. This is Sun Bay, Vieques, the former US bombing island off of Puerto Rico. Bombing is finished and the beaches are beautiful.
The Puerto Ricans love to sail and boat. This guy in Salinas was out on his sunfish with no wind from noon until 6pm when we saw him return.
Caja De Muertos, an island off Salinas, Puerto Rico that rivaled the Bahamas for water clarity. A National Park which we shared with only one other boat for several days.
Hannes and Sabine from Austria. Their boat is Cayenne. Heading along the south coast of Puerto Rico and then on to the DR and Bahamas like us.
We went on an 8 mile walk and I was definitely showing my age...
Fortunately I recovered.
Can't remember last time I was not the biggest person in a photo!
A beautiful little town called La Parguera in the mangroves behind a barrier reef. Many houses on pilings. Many houses washed off pilings by storm surges as well.
Shango taking it easy while we went into town to get lunch and buy groceries.
20 mile downwind leg to the Mona Passage on our way to Boqueron. One of our best day sails of the trip. We had 20-25 knots the whole way.
Used just the main with no poled out jib and we were very comfortable.
Probably should have put the dink on deck but we were lazy...
Our last stretch of the southern Puerto Rico coast. The further west we went
the drier it got.
Reminded us of the American Southwest.
Here is the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo.
We are now in the Mona Passage and screaming along on a beam reach on our last leg to Boqueron.
Looking west across the Mona passage to the Dominican Republic. our next stop.
Hannes and Sabine were all smiles like us after we arrived in Boqueron. Great sail.
Boqueron has a reputation as a party town like a rural Fort
Lauderdale....must be
only on weekends!
Here's proof that things are sometimes a little more festive
Christmas decorations hadn't yet been put away. Making it easier for next year.
Some sort of US/Puerto Rican observation balloon looking over the Mona
Passage
from Boqueron
Lunchtime in Boqueron. $1 dollar beers and empanadillas.
Empanadillas seem to be the Macdonald's fare for Puerto Rico
After my near death experience in St. John we passed on the oysters in the street.
One way to clean a phone booth
How about those smiles and pretty eyes
Our last morning in Boqueron. We really enjoyed Puerto Rico.
Leaving Puerto Rico to head across the Mona Passage to Luperon, DR. Champ's in charge.
The next morning at Cape Samana on the north coast of the DR. Famous for whale migrations this time of year. Amy saw several small whales near sunset.
A very bold coast
with a mountainous interior. Reminded us of St. Vincent.
Sunset at sea
The next morning ,our destination, Luperon, DR. One of the safest anchorages
in the entire Caribbean with very affordable prices. Attracts a lot of
boats as a result.
We have many more pictures of Luperon and the DR from our 2007-2008 logs if you
are interested. Great place and very friendly people.
We will meet our Oregon friends, Jim and Lorraine, here for our next hop to the Bahamas.
Our first veggie market in over a month. Amy got this haul for 150
pesos....$4. We will
miss Luperon's access to fruits/veggies and prices.